1/30/2012 5:16:00 AMCommunity partners assist CMSD parents with FAFSA

Attending college is the dream of an increasing number of Cleveland Metropolitan School District students, but with tuition rates rising every year, paying for college has never been more challenging for parents.

To assist students and their families, a new community partnership has been created to help guide parents through the daunting financial aid maze. Cleveland Rocks the FAFSA, hosted by CEO Eric Gordon and Mayor Frank Jackson, was held at the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda on Jan. 11 to assist hundreds of graduating seniors and their families understand the financial aid application process. FAFSA applications must be completed by Feb. 15.

“What we’ve found is that many students and families begin the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) process but give up before completing it,” said CEO Eric Gordon.  “Having trained experts help our students complete the FAFSA will hopefully increase the number of graduating seniors who go on to college.”

The trained experts are part of a citywide effort involving the Higher Education Compact, which includes the City of Cleveland, CMSD, College Now! and Downtown YMCA that are clearing the way for more Cleveland students to obtain college degrees.
 
The goal is to ensure that all students in Cleveland have access to the most important college preparation resource available – FAFSA, considered to be a critical first step in the college financial-aid process.