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Daily Aid 1: California financial aid cutbacks, LD scholarship

September 3rd, 2008

Daily Aid 1: California financial aid cutbacks, LD scholarship

Student Financial Aid News

California’s budget still hasn’t been finalized, but Schwarzenegger is proposing to cut funds for higher education by $312 million. Lawmakers are working with a budget that reduces the cut to $215 million, according to Inside Higher Ed, a news Web site for higher education resources.

The dramatic cut in funding would make California’s community colleges unable to accommodate classes for more than 50,000 students - and 18,500 would not receive financial aid, said Diane Woodruff, chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Several thousand California State University and University of California students will be affected, too.

Commentary

Higher education budget cuts to any state running a deficit are nearly inevitable. Students, parents, families, and financial aid professionals need to be prepared for significant decreases in state government aid. If you’re a student receiving any serious amount of financial aid from state-funded sources, you absolutely, positively need to be hunting down scholarships like crazy, right now and throughout the school year.

If you’re a financial aid administrator at a state-funded school, be prepared for cutbacks, and consider the radical step of teaming up with the development office to solicit additional contributions from alumni and donors specifically for financial aid that you can administer directly at your institution.

Scholarship of the Day: Anne Ford Scholarship Award

The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 award given to a high school senior with an identified learning disability (LD) who is pursuing an undergraduate degree. The deadline for application is December 31. The ideal candidate is a high school senior who has faced the challenges of having a learning disability; is committed to completing a college degree and setting career goals; has demonstrated perseverance; embraces new opportunities; has a well-rounded perspective shaped by experiences in school, in the community, and with family and friends; understands how LD affects his/her life and recognizes the importance of self-advocacy; believes in contributing to society in a way that increases the opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities; and will feel comfortable serving as a role model for others who struggle with LD.

Details and application located here.

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