Los Medanos College Financial Aid hosted a lively block party open to the public Tuesday Sept. 9 tailored towards students at LMC. The event focused on getting the word out about services students have available while enrolled, with an emphasis on financial resources which can help those that are interested in getting help with paying tuition.
These may include a direct monetary transfer from the government, like a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a California Dreamers Act Application (CADAA), scholarships or a variety of other grants and programs.
The tables included some resources that were not part of financial aid but are equally helpful, such as the LMC Marketplace.
“We want to make sure students know they can get necessities,” said Gabrielle DeLao, an ambassador for the LMC Marketplace. “Students don’t know all of our resources, we want to make students feel like they have the resources they need.”
Students proceeded through a series of tables set up on the quad, each focused on one specific aspect of the financial aid department. Students would walk up, answer trivia, play games, receive prizes and move on to the next table.
“It’s my first year here and I think it’s cool,” said Jordan Tanner, LMC student. “I learned a lot about financial aid in general.”
“I love it. I think it’s really nice, there’s a lot of things I learned, mostly financial stuff,” said James Hernandez, an LMC student. “I like that they gave us prizes.”
While the event was busy and lines for each table were sometimes long, a free burrito from the Groovy Gorditas food truck awaited students who visited each table and got their card stamped. According to most participants, the wait was worth it.
“It tastes really good, a good amount of salsa, beans and rice,” said Kayla Zavala, LMC student, about the burrito.
The financial aid office was very pleased with the result of the event. Educating students on the resources they are entitled to, while leaving them with a taste of great food and plenty of prizes.
“It’s going great,” said Faidra Lopez, Financial Aid assistant, who was tabling during the event. “Turnout exceeded expectations.”
Students were particularly interested in the school’s offer of free tuition following a FAFSA or CADAA application.
“We got a lot of questions about our free tuition,” said Pierce Young, a Financial Aid advisor who was working the sources of aid table at the event. “It was a blur, I saw a lot of people. I hope people learned something.”
Over 250 participants officially signed into the event, as organizers ran out of stamp cards to pass out, according to Young.
Students can find the financial aid office in the bottom floor of the Student Services Building. For more information go to the Admissions & Aid tab at losmedanos.edu and click on the Financial Aid link under Paying for College.
