Help available for our students
Gov. John Bel Edwards has proclaimed October as Louisiana College Application and Access Month to increase the number of first-generation and low-income students across the state who apply to postsecondary institutions.
Coordinated by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, the move is intended to help high school seniors receive assistance on their college applications and financial aid forms as they find a college or university that fits their interest.
“Timely submission of college admission and financial aid applications is the first step toward ensuring that a student will actually have a seat in a post-secondary classroom come next fall,” said LOSFA Executive Director Sujuan Boutte in a news release to the American Press.
“LOSFA is here to assist students with this task and the many additional steps needed to get them into college, get through college and into a financially rewarding career doing something they love.”
The U.S. Department of Education on Monday also released this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which covers all types of federal financial aid offered including Pell grants, work study programs and federal student loans.
The form can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, in 2018 the state’s FAFSA submission rate reached an all-time high with 84 percent of Louisiana students submitting the application by the July 1 priority deadline.
This is great news considering that furthering one’s secondary education is become more essential. The department reports that 51 percent of Louisiana’s jobs will require post-secondary education, but by 2020 about 65 percent of the nation’s jobs will require this level of training.
LCAAM events are planned at Southwest Louisiana high schools this month to give our students as much help as they can get. Here is the schedule:
Allen: Rayne and Oberlin, Oct. 9; and Kinder and Oakdale, Oct. 10.
Beauregard: Merryville, Oct. 31.
Calcasieu: Washington-Marion, Oct. 15; and LaGrange and Sam Houston, Oct. 19.
Jeff Davis: Elton, Oct. 3; Hathaway, Oct. 25; and Jennings, Oct. 31.
At this time, no events have been scheduled for Cameron and Vernon parishes. For more information on LCAAM, visit www.osfa.la.gov/outreach_link_lcaam.html
This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include executive editor Crystal Stevenson, John Guidroz, retired editor Jim Beam and retired staff writer Mike Jones.