Many of us have children who will go off to college soon. What are the resources we can use to get help paying for our young scholars’ higher education? Akoshia Robinson, a single mother has been through this several times and is now a veteran. She walks us through the process of her family applying for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the financial aid program administered by the California Student Aid Commission (Cal Grants): $6,095 if qualified. Tuition at UC schools is approximately $13,900 per year. Tuition at CSU schools is approximately $7,100 per year.
THE HUB: How many children do you have who will or are attending college? And how soon?
Robinson: I have three children, one son graduated from CSU Fullerton in 2016. Another son is currently attending San Francisco State and my niece that I raised will start college in the Fall of 2019. All three of them received Cal Grants.
THE HUB: What was the process of applying for the Cal Grant like? Was it easy or difficult?
Robinson: I found the Cal Grant seamless and easy to navigate through the process. I was actively involved in my kids’ education from an early age, so it was not foreign to me. Being a single, middle class mother I needed FAFSA and Cal Grants to help with the costs of attending California State Universities and Universities of California. In 2016 I was on the show Good Day Sacramento or Fox 5, they interviewed me as a parent going through that process: how and where to file.
THE HUB: How long does it take to find out if you got the grant? Is the amount standard or is it determined on a case by case basis?
Robinson: You apply before the March deadline and I got the answer in the mail; now they send you an email that tells you what you qualify for. The Cal Grant is a standard amount for UC and CSU schools. It only covers the tuition, not books or room and board. The Cal Grant A, B, C is based on your GPA and adjusted gross income from your income tax return. UC schools have a higher tuition so you get more. Cal Grant A is for 3.0 GPA or higher. Cal Grant B is for under 3.0 GPA and Cal Grant C is for trade school tuition.
THE HUB: What will your child receiving this grant mean for your family?
Robinson: Receiving this grant has provided the opportunity for my children to attend the school of their choice.
THE HUB: Have you also applied for scholarships? What was the outcome?
Robinson: Yes because my children’s GPA’s were good, it opened the door to apply for many scholarships. They were active in the community, volunteered, participated in sports and music programs. It was very important to me for them to be well rounded.
THE HUB: Based on your experience with it, would you encourage other parents to apply for the Cal Grant?
Robinson: Yes, absolutely. Without receiving grants, it would be impossible for my children to go to college; that’s why I’m passionate about helping other families learn what to do to qualify and apply for these grants.
To learn more about applying for the FAFSA and Cal Grants, go to: https://www.cash4college.csac.ca.gov/
Contributing Writer, Donna Michele Ramos
Donna Ramos writes several (contemporary and historical) multi-cultural, romance novels simultaneously. Her journalism career as a Senior Staff Writer/Reporter for THE HUB Magazine has yielded interviews with Maxwell, Venus and Serena Williams and HRH Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, to name a few. As a self-published author, Ramos received acclaim from Essence Magazine and BlackbookPlus.com by being on their best seller lists for her contemporary romance debut book “HIGH RISE”. Currently she is writing, “M&M: MADNESS AND MAYHEM”, the final book in her “HIGH RISE” Trilogy, and “CHOCOLATE IN THE CITY”. Donna partnered with another author, Brooklen Borne to write a 4-book sci-fi thriller series, “Absorption.” Last year she was named “Author of the Year” by Write-On! Awards for Literary Excellence. She states her next project is to “teach myself how to screen write so I can turn my novels into screenplays and submit them to studios and agents searching for fresh new scripts.”
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