While many seniors are applying for college scholarships, opportunities at Woodside are also available to assist them.
On Jan. 15, and dates to be determined in February, an event called “Cash for College” is scheduled for students and families to attend. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., students will be able to attend the event in the MUR to participate in the free financial aid workshops for parents and students. As seniors are getting ready to go to college next school year, it is very important for them to get as much financial help as they need.
“College event is a workshop that’s going to help current seniors at Woodside fill out their financial aid application,” College and Career Counselor Francisco Gil said. “It’s either going to be the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).”
These financial aid applications compose a lot of information and according to 2023’s statistics, the FAFSA form gave a majority of students some form of financial aid. The application process of these financial aid programs have changed over time. Before this year, everything was manual. Recently, applications were revised to be more efficient, according to College and Career Counselor Zorina Matavulj.
“[Reporting family income has always been] the most important thing,” Matavulj said. “It used to be that a student would have to, like, type in all of the numbers. That’s not true anymore, because there’s data retrieval so they’re able to connect their FAFSA with their parents’ tax forms.”
While Matavulj explained that families no longer need to type in every number, the Cash for College sessions can address any questions that arise. During the hour-long session, parents and students are informed on these applications and the process. During the actual event, they will go over all the steps of filling out the application as well as what forms and documents are needed.
“[During Cash for College] students will be creating their accounts, creating their [FAFSA or CADAA] IDs to log in, and then being able to gather the information that is needed,” Gil said. “You’ll need to have your 2023 tax return information.”
This event is available to all Woodside students. Like many other college and career events, Cash for College is designed to be accessible; all students have to do is show up at the correct time and place.
“All they have to do is know when [and where] they’re going to be,” Matavulj said. “You can look up the [Woodside] website and they’ll have the date announcements. They’ll be announcing the dates. [You] don’t need to have a reservation at all.”
With multiple events, including the one on Wednesday, Jan. 15, students can learn and get help on applications with help from people with experience.
“It can be a little bit stressful, especially if you’re the first in your family to go to college, or [if] your parents haven’t had to do this in a while,” Gil said. “This event is really just meant to help ease the stress and to be able to help anyone answer any questions.”
