UMOJA explains aid

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

College is expensive, but there are resources available that can ease the strain. UMOJA hosted the Financial Aid 101 Workshop on Tuesday to introduce students to the opportunities provided.

UMOJA counselor Melody Smith believed the event was a good idea because, as an academic counselor, she is asked questions about financial aid often.

“I don't always get the opportunity to answer them or I refer them to financial aid for their specific scenarios,” Smith said. “I wanted the workshop to answer those one-

Turcotte described the rigor of the coursework as “very tough.”

“You’re taking science classes depending on the STEM major, computer science, biology, physics, and they involve very sequential list of courses, mathematics, physics, chemistry,” Turcotte said. “Typically your stem majors are going to be 60-70, even to 90 units to transfer.”

Turcotte said completing that number of units can be especially on-one questions but also answer questions for when students transfer, because they don't necessarily know that process either.”

According to Smith, students are confused about financial aid, especially those right out of high school.

“They don't necessarily know or they just do BOG,” said Smith, referring to the Board of Governors fee waiver, which has now been replaced by the California College Promise Grant. “Or maybe they came challenging for students hoping to complete their education in a timely fashion with obligations outside of school. Duong echoed this concern.

“We want people who are undecided or just starting to consider STEM, because as a STEM major you have to start earlier,” Duong said.

Astronomy Professor and Physics

Planetary Sciences Department Chair Dale Fields said the week will most likely have motivated STEM students doing their daily grind by in with the LA College Promise and they don't necessarily understand why they have to do FAFSA.”

Archaeology major Jasmine Thompson, 19, is a first-year student who says she didn’t know anything about financial aid before today.

“This is probably the best I’ve got to understand what is going on with financial aid,” Thompson said.

Student worker and UMOJA student Jordan Rice, 21, attended the workshop and learned that he can still apply for a tax-free pell grant even as