Category Archives: Financial aid

$6 Billion in Reopening/Expanded Learning Funding – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

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The California Department of Education (CDE) today has posted estimated local education agency (LEA) allocations from the $6.6 billion made available as part of the Assembly Bill (AB) 86 External link opens in new window or tab. COVID-19 relief package. The funding provided by AB 86 will accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction across California and provide schools the resources to expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer.

“As more school districts across California announce plans to bring students back into classrooms, we at the CDE are providing the technical support our schools need to access resources in a timely way so educators can focus on providing a safe return to in-person learning, accelerate learning, and begin recovering,” said State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.

A breakdown of how the $2 billion for In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grants and $4.6 billion for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grants were determined for each LEA are available on the CDE IPI and ELO Grants Funding Results web page.

Source: $6 Billion in Reopening/Expanded Learning Funding – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

Solano welcomes feds’ help – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

After a year of COVID-19, of staying in or working from our homes, of relying on Zoom gatherings for so much of life, and so much more, help is on the way for Solano County and Vacaville area residents.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Thursday and it means that individuals who meet certain income requirements and filed IRS tax returns in 2019 or 2020 will be getting a $1,400 stimulus check in the mail or electronically deposited to a bank account.

It also means there will be critical funding to re-open schools, more vaccinations, more employment as school districts, cities, counties and area transportation agencies will be getting millions in financial relief.

Source: Coronavirus: Solano welcomes feds’ help – The Reporter

Garamendi Secures Critical Funding To Reopen Schools, Distribute Vaccines, | Davis, CA Patch

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Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA03) voted to pass the Senate-amended “American Rescue Plan” (H.R.1319), in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law this week.

The legislation includes much-needed relief to:

  • Put students safely back in classrooms
  • Put vaccines in arms
  • Put money in people’s pockets
  • Put Americans back to work.

The bill includes funding to safely re-open schools, distribute vaccinations in every American community, send an additional $1,400 stimulus check to individuals, support small businesses, and extend unemployment benefits. The legislation codifies President Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan into law and includes funding to support specific COVID-19-related initiatives in Congressman Garamendi’s Congressional District.

Source: Garamendi Secures Critical Funding To Reopen Schools, Distribute Vaccines, Extend Unemployment Benefits, & Send $1,400 Stimulus Checks | Davis, CA Patch

17 Solano students awarded college scholarships – The Reporter

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Seventeen Solano students were recognized Saturday during a virtual Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Chinese American Association of Solano County and awarded scholarships to aid them in their academic journeys.

“The strength of our communities and the future is directly dependent upon theeducation of our youth,”said C.C. Yin, founder and chairman of CAASC, in a press statement.

During the last 24 years, due to generous corporate sponsorships and community support, 306 students have been granted CAASC scholarships totaling in excess of $220,500, organizers said.

Source: 17 Solano students awarded college scholarships – The Reporter

Secretary DeVos Announces More than $4 Billion Available to Help Students Continue Learning | U.S. Department of Education

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By Press@ed.gov

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today more than $4 billion in additional COVID-19 emergency relief is now available to governors to ensure learning continues for students of all ages and at all schools. This emergency relief aid, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, has two components: supplemental GEER awards (GEER II) and the Emergency Assistance to Non-public Schools (EANS) awards, which comprise $2.75 billion of the total. These funds are authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, (CRRSA) Public Law 116-260, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. In total, CRRSA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion Secretary DeVos expeditiously provided this spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“As I’ve said from the beginning of this pandemic, parents are counting on strong and decisive state, local, and school leadership to ensure their students can continue to learn in ways that work for them,” said Secretary DeVos. “While some state and local education leaders have risen to the occasion, far too many parents are frustrated by a stunning lack of access to in-person learning for their kids. Every governor needs to utilize these taxpayer funds to safely reopen schools and ensure all students have the option to learn in person if that is what they want or need. The impact of school lockdowns has been disastrous for our students—especially those from low-income families. And, far too many private school students have suffered because interest groups, politicians, and lobbyists predictably played politics and protected their own lucrative gigs with taxpayer funding. I was pleased to see, this time around, that Congress finally acknowledged what this Administration has said all along: All students and all educators at all schools — private, parochial, and public — are affected by this pandemic, and they all need and deserve support for PPE, cleaning supplies, learning materials, and more.”

Source: Secretary DeVos Announces More than $4 Billion Available in Emergency Education Grants for Governors to Help Students Continue Learning | U.S. Department of Education

Mini Grants to Address Equity Now Available – Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that California school districts and charter schools can now begin applying for mini grants to address equity and opportunity gaps in student learning.

Announced earlier this month as part of its ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s continued impact on students, the California Department of Education (CDE) will award grants of up to $20,000 each to schools, districts, and charter schools that can demonstrate how they will address equity and opportunity gaps by utilizing the funds to target educators’ or students’ needs in distance learning, in-person instruction, or hybrid models.

The application process and criteria were emailed to all county and district superintendents and charter school administrators in California earlier today, and the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, January 8, 2021. The grants have been funded through a $200,000 contribution from the Stuart Foundation External link opens in new window or tab..

Source: Mini Grants to Address Equity Now Available – Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

CDE Emergency Response Fund – Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced Thursday that the California Department of Education (CDE) has launched a statewide fundraising effort to bolster aid for schools in regions ravaged by wildfires and other disasters.

Thousands of students, families, and educators across California have endured weeks of back-to-back challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, power outages, and poor air quality. The new CDE Emergency Response Fund, launched Thursday in partnership with the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation (CDEF), will support the rapid generation of resources to schools facing unprecedented loss and uncertainty.

“Too many of our school communities are hurting and have endured more challenges than many of us will experience in a lifetime,” Thurmond said. “Californians are resilient, generous, and always have each other’s backs in times of crisis. Let’s continue to come together for our communities in need so they can get back on their feet.”

Source: CDE Emergency Response Fund – Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

Figures released on state, federal CARES Act funding to districts to address COVID-19 – The Reporter

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By EDSource

As Congress and President Trump wrestle over how much to provide in the next round of relief from the coronavirus, California school districts, county offices of education and charter schools must decide what to do with the $6.8 billion that’s already coming their way.

They’ll have flexibility but not much time. In passing the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March, Congress set a Dec. 31 deadline to spend the money.

In early June, EdSource published estimates on how the state planned to distribute the funds in the first proposal. During the budget negotiations, the state added about $1 billion to the total.

Source: Figures released on state, federal CARES Act funding to districts to address COVID-19 – The Reporter

Coronavirus: Bill to protect school funding advances – The Reporter

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Sen Bill Dodd, D-Solano, announced Tuesday that his bill to protect school funding already impacted by the coronavirus pandemic from being further harmed by potential wildfire-related power shutoffs has cleared the Assembly Committee.

“Considering the financial challenges posed by Covid-19, it is especially important that we protect critical funding sources for our public schools,” he advised in a press statement. “They should not lose money because PG&E or another utility has responded to the threat of wildfire by shutting off their power lines. This bill would make schools whole if they are forced to endure another outage.”

California public school funding is based on average daily attendance, reported three times a year by school districts. Under current law, if schools are forced to close because of a public safety power shutoff, they could lose part of their expected allocation. Senate Bill 884 changes that by authorizing the state to backfill average daily attendance money.

Source: Coronavirus: Bill to protect school funding advances – The Reporter

Financial aid application rates soar among California foster youth – The Reporter

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By Ashley A. Smith

California’s foster students, for the first time ever, have surpassed high school peers in applying for federal student aid.

The milestone is considered significant because just completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, can put a foster student on a path for college, informing the student of how much aid to expect but also alerting prospective colleges of the student’s needs.

This past academic year, 64.5% of 2,582 high school seniors in foster care submitted a FAFSA, compared to 56.6% of all high school seniors in the state, according to John Burton Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit organization that advocates and supports homeless and foster youth.

Source: Financial aid application rates soar among California foster youth – The Reporter

PG&E offers STEM scholarships – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Twenty $10,000 scholarships and 20 scholarships worth $2,500 are being offered to students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or math.

The scholarships are being offered by the Pacific Gas & Electric company and its foundation.

Applications are open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, veterans and adults returning to school who are PG&E customers at the time of application. Applicants must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2020-21 academic year and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California.

Source: PG&E offers STEM scholarships

Rodriguez Music Boosters’ Scholarship Recipients – Daily Republic

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The Rodriguez High School Music Boosters offers Scholarships to senior students who have participated in the REU Marching Band and Advanced Choir programs based on available funds which dictates how many are scholarships are offered.This year the Rodriguez High School Music Boosters were able to offer 6 scholarships valued at $500 each.There are specific criteria for the applying student to meet and paperwork for them to complete; including a personal essay. The packet is then prepared by removing the name of the student from all paperwork to create a blind scoring. A rubric is used to score the packet by two board readers and two independent readers, and finally the Band Director also has a rubric for scoring each of the packets.

Source: Good News: RHSEU: Rodriguez Music Boosters’ Scholarship Recipients

Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club Awards Assist-a-Grad Scholarships – Daily Republic

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The Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club today announced its selections for their 2020 Assist-A-Grad scholarships.Six students received the awards: Sidney Binns (Vanden High School), Eric Cortez (Rodriguez High School), Adamari Delgado Reynaga (Armijo High School), Yenessa Huckom (Fairfield High School), Sierra Lewis (Fairfield High School) and Aurora Markham (Armijo High School).The students were chosen based upon their written applications and oral interviews with members from the Rotary Club.“Our Club has always believed in helping our community’s youth. We believe that they should dream big and continue to even in the middle of a pandemic,” said President Kelly Rhoads Poston.

Source: Press Release: Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club Awards Assist-a-Grad Scholarships

Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club Awards Assist-a-Grad Scholarships – Daily Republic

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The Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club today announced its selections for their 2020 Assist-A-Grad scholarships.Six students received the awards: Sidney Binns (Vanden High School), Eric Cortez (Rodriguez High School), Adamari Delgado Reynaga (Armijo High School), Yenessa Huckom (Fairfield High School), Sierra Lewis (Fairfield High School) and Aurora Markham (Armijo High School).The students were chosen based upon their written applications and oral interviews with members from the Rotary Club.“Our Club has always believed in helping our community’s youth. We believe that they should dream big and continue to even in the middle of a pandemic,” said President Kelly Rhoads Poston.

Source: Press Release: Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club Awards Assist-a-Grad Scholarships

Vanden High senior receives national full-ride scholarship – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

Like many college hopefuls, Vanden High School senior Cecilia Morales had worried how she would fund her schooling.

No more.

She was recently named a 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipient, which guarantees full scholarships to seniors with high academic performance but low incomes and allows them to attend top colleges.

“It feels insane,” Morales said of her accomplishment, noting that she feels very proud but also a sense of disbelief.

Source: Vanden High senior receives national full-ride scholarship – The Reporter

Vanden senior earns scholarship to help pay for medical school – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Vanden High School senior Cecilia Morales has been selected as a 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipient.

QuestBridge is a national program that connects high-achieving, low-income high school seniors with full scholarships to the nation’s top colleges. Recipients are admitted early to QuestBridge college partners with guaranteed scholarships provided by the colleges and universities.

Morales plans to attend medical school, eventually becoming an emergency room doctor.

Source: Vanden senior earns scholarship to help pay for medical school

Bill would pay CSU tuition for those who earn associate degrees – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

Solano Community College students who earn an associate degree would get two years of tuition paid for at a California State University if legislation authored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Miguel Santiago becomes law.

“The cost of a bachelor’s degree is just too damn high. Our students deserve the chance to earn a degree without being burdened by overwhelming debt,” Santiago said in a statement after a press conference held this week to announce Assembly Bill 1862.

“Providing two years of tuition-free CSU means students will save tens of thousands of dollars while earning their bachelor’s degree. AB 1862 puts that dream within reach for California students and their families,” Santiago said in the statement.

Source: Bill would pay CSU tuition for those who earn associate degrees

TCU announces 2020 scholarship program for county’s high school seniors – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Given the high cost of living and going to college in California, $2,000 may not sound like much.

But certainly $2,000 toward college expenses is nothing to sniff at as a Northern California high school senior.

So, seniors, consider completing an application for one of these Travis Credit Union scholarships — 20 are available.

Credit union officials encourage all qualified graduating seniors to apply. Each applicant must have a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), bound for a two– or four–year college or university and a be member of TCU in good standing.

Source: TCU announces 2020 scholarship program for county’s high school seniors – The Reporter

Kaiser Permanente Awards Grants in Napa & Solano Counties | Napa Valley, CA Patch

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By Chyresse Hill

Kaiser Permanente has awarded $1 million in grants to 42 local nonprofit organizations providing services and programs that improve the health of under-served communities throughout the Napa Solano area, including several serving the residents of Napa.

Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit grants are awarded every year to local organizations working on specific programs and projects that align with Kaiser Permanente’s mission and goals. Funding priorities are informed by the tri-annual Community Health Needs Assessment.

All the grants help fund projects in the following categories: Access to care and coverage, Community and family safety, Mental health and wellness, Healthy Eating Active Living

Source: Kaiser Permanente Awards Grants in Napa & Solano Counties | Napa Valley, CA Patch

Dreams become reality for students at historical black college fair in Vallejo – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

Willie B. Adkins Scholars Program instructor Tiffanee Jones was overcome with emotion Tuesday afternoon at John Finney High School as she hugged student Tayleese Deans. Jones’ motto at work is to make a dream become a reality and that’s exactly what she was witnessing with kids at the U-CAN go to college Historically Black Colleges and Universities Recruitment Fair.

“All of this is too overwhelming,” Jones said after momentarily crying with tears of joy. “I’ve known a lot of these kids for five to six years, some as far back even as when they were in second grade. It’s been kind of like a relay to college.”

Approximately 25 colleges were at the school’s gym to give students advice and application fee waivers and to be admitted on the spot if qualified. Some were even given scholarships and financial aid if they qualified.

Source: Dreams become reality for students at historical black college fair in Vallejo – Times-Herald