More Financial Aid for California Community College Students Must Not Wait and You Can Help! Financial Aid

Contact your legislators! That’s the message the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is sending statewide with the introduction of www.TrueCollegeCost.com. The site is in support of California State Senate Bill 291 (SB 291) and enables you to engage in the policy-making process with an online feature to quickly and easily contact your legislator and urge support of the bill designed to increase financial aid for California community college students.

Despite having the lowest tuition in the nation and waiving that expense for nearly 50% of our students, the true cost of attending a community college is much greater for many struggling to balance their college education with making ends meet. Senator Connie Leyva, D-Chino, partnered with the California Community Colleges to author SB 291, which would create a new student financial aid program specifically for community college students to address the disparity between the current levels of financial aid and the true cost of college such as rent, transportation, textbooks and more.

The website was created to provide more information about the bill and a space for members of the public to reach out to their legislators directly by emailing them directly and tagging them on Twitter. The tool on the website is easy to use and the form takes just a few moments to complete.  

Visit www.TrueCollegeCost.com today to contact your legislator and urge others to join the California Community Colleges, community leaders, legislators and students in lending their voice in support of this important bill that will provide meaningful financial support to students with the greatest need.

In addition to the TrueCollegeCost.com website, the California Community Colleges’ “I Can Afford College” campaign launched the #TrueCollegeCost Social Media Sweepstakes (sponsored by iHeart media). In addition to awarding six scholarships, the social media-based sweepstakes amplifies student voices with legislators and educational leaders about what non-tuition costs they would be able to afford if they received more aid and why real changes in the amount of financial aid community college students can receive must not wait.

To enter the sweepstakes, students simply share a photo or video on the social media channel of their choice (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat) telling which non-tuition college costs they would be able to cover with more financial aid available to help them achieve their higher education goals. Participants must include both the #truecollegecost and #sweepstakes hashtags on their posts to complete an entry for a chance to win.

Three students who entered by March 11, 2019 won a $1,000 scholarship and a trip to Sacramento to talk with state legislators and higher education leaders about the critical need to increase financial aid for California community colleges. Three more winners who enter by April 30, 2019 will receive $500 scholarships.

For more information about the #TrueCollegeCost Sweepstakes, including eligibility requirements, visit icanaffordcollege.com and enter for your chance to win today!