financial aid for ABE/ESL students?

Submitted by Michelle Cohen on Sat, 08/17/2013 - 16:57
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Dear Friends,
 

Starting last year, after we were shut down and then reopened in a reorganized/diminished state, the Los Angeles Unified School District drastically increased course fees for our Division of Adult and Career Education students. 

 
This included new fees for classes that used to be free: ESL and ABE.  
 
Our HSD/GED course fees were increased sixfold (from $5 to $30) and our vocational/CTE courses are now much more expensive as well.
 
There was no input from teachers and students regarding this decision, and the fees show no sign of going away, despite a much-improved financial picture for CA and LAUSD.
 
We have seen many students unable to begin or continue their educations at our adult schools due to these fees, and I am very angry about this. I decided to turn my anger in a positive direction and research financial aid options for our students:
 
US Citizens
Legal residents
Undocumented students
 
As far as I can tell, the FAFSA/Pell Grant is only for "immigration status legal" students who already have a HSD or GED.  As you are aware, most of our students are working toward these goals and a very long way away from reaching them in many cases
 
Is there anything else out there for them?
 
I am hoping to learn from your experience and talk to you when you get a chance. 
 
I am out of class and available to talk after 1:00 p.m. CA time, and can be reached on my cell 323-229-6054.  Email works for me too.
 
Thank you so much in advance for your assistance. I very much look forward to talking to you.
 
Michelle Cohen
 
GED/HSD teacher, LAUSD Division of Adult and Career Education
Instructor, Worker Education and Resource Center, Inc.
Member, California Federation of Teachers Adult Education Commission

 

Comments

Hi Michelle,      Since I didn't see any online responses through our Career Ladder Community, I'm wondering if you got phone responses or responses from other LINCS Communities?  If so, would you be willing to share what you have found out?  I am hoping that there are possibilities out there for our students, and that you have had some responses.  If not, let's throw the query out there again, and hope that those who have suggestions were just too busy with vacations and school start ups to respond when you asked previously.