A Simpler Application for Student Aid
A Simpler FAFSA on the Web
Applying for money for college just got easier.

This week Secretary Duncan highlighted ways the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been made simpler, shorter, and more user friendly. Dr. Jill Biden joined Secretary Duncan and Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed to showcase the streamlined FAFSA at Benjamin Banneker Senior High School in Washington, D.C. Afterward, they visited the counseling office at Banneker and talked with students who were completing the FAFSA from school computers.

President Obama has challenged the nation to have the highest percentage of college graduates by 2020. Simplifying FAFSA supports that goal by making it easier for students to access financial support for postsecondary studies. For the 2010-11 academic year, students could begin filing their FAFSAs on January 1, 2010.

The 2010-11 FAFSA-on-the-Web has been redesigned to be shorter, simpler, and more user-friendly. Questions are now asked only if relevant to the applicant; low-income students, for example, are no longer asked for asset information, and only returning students are asked about prior drug convictions because the question does not apply to first-year students. Also, immediately after submitting the FAFSA, applicants will now receive a confirmation email message which indicates Pell Grant eligibility and links to information about the schools they are applying to, such as graduation and transfer rates and a detailed breakdown of costs and expected expenses associated with the schools.

Most higher education institutions began receiving updates and tutorials on the new application in early December (via training, the Federal Student Aid conference, webinars and www.ifap.ed.gov).

Later this month, those applying for aid in the spring semester using the 2009-10 FAFSA will be able to retrieve and import their tax data from the Internal Revenue Services (IRS). And, in summer 2010, those applying for aid in the 2010-11 a year will also be able to access the IRS web site to retrieve income information to complete the FAFSA.

New America Media Ethnic Elders Fellowships for Ethnic Media Journalists: Ethnic Elders Today and Tomorrow

Application Due: Monday, Jan. 25, 2010
New America Media, Fellowship Application, Paul Kleyman, Ethnic Elders Editor

New America Media is calling for applications from ethnic media reporters and freelance journalists for its 2010 Fellowship, “Ethnic Elders Today and Tomorrow,” underwritten by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies.

By 2030, the number of elders in America will double, with a growing percentage expected to be ethnic elders. From health care disparities and income struggles to seniors’ unsung community contributions as mentors and heritage keepers, generational coverage is too often missing from, yet crucial to the conversation about how to prepare for the coming longevity revolution.

Each fellow will submit a proposal outlining a major article or series of stories, she or he intends to research and write, as well as a signed agreement by his or her publisher/producer to run the story or stories in their ethnic media outlet.

In addition, fellows will participate in a two-day workshop on key social, politics and policy issues, hosted by New America Media in Washington, D.C., in late February 2010, where they will meet national policy-makers, leading journalists on the generational or retirement beat, policy advocates and researchers. NAM will disseminate stories produced by the fellows to ethnic and mainstream media partners and nonprofit collaborators through our news wire. Fellows will also receive a $2,500 stipend.

Link on to the NAM Ethnic Elders Fellowship application at http://bit.ly/7TtoWG.

 CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California 2010 CCNMA Scholarships

The competition is open to high school seniors who will enter college full-time in the Fall of 2010, as well as college undergraduate and graduate students who will be enrolled full-time for the entire 2010-2011 academic year.

You do not have to major in Journalism in college to qualify for the scholarship, but you must demonstrate a sincere desire to pursue a career in print, photo, broadcast or online journalism. The scholarships range from $500 to $1,000. The filing deadline for applications is Friday April 2, 2010.

The CCNMA scholarships, including the Joel Garcia Memorial Scholarship and the Frank del Olmo Memorial Scholarship, are awarded annually to qualified Latino students who are planning to pursue a career in journalism. The scholarships, which range from $500 to $1,000 per student, are based on several criteria including: commitment to the field of journalism, scholastic achievement, awareness of Latino issues, and financial need. Students must be enrolled full-time for the entire 2010-2011 academic year, and must be a California resident or attend an accredited college or university in California. All winners will be invited and recognized at the 30th Annual CCNMA Scholarship Banquet on Friday June 4, 2010, in Los Angeles.

Joel Garcia was a Los Angeles journalist who in 1972 first proposed organizing a professional association for Latino journalists. What was initially a group of five Latino journalists eventually became the CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. A native of Los Angeles, Garcia worked as a newspaper reporter and as a television reporter and producer. He was working for KCET-TV in Los Angeles at the time of his death in May 1977. Frank del Olmo was a founding member of the CCNMA and served on its Board of Directors since its inception until his death in February 2004. Del Olmo worked 33 years at the Los Angeles Times and, as associate editor, was the newspaper’s high-estranking Latino. He was a member of the Times’ all Latino Pulitzer Prize-winning team for a landmark series on Latinos in Southern California, and won an Emmy for writing a documentary on immigration for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

For Scholarship information contact: CCNMA Scholarships, USC Annenberg School of Journalism, 727 W. 27th St., Room 201, Los Angeles, CA 90007-3212. Phone: (213) 821-0075. e-mail: ccnmainfo@ccnma.org. web site: www.ccnma.org 

Chicano Alumni Council Social and Mixer

Date: January 21, 2010
Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location at: Bamboo Lounge, 1475 University Avenue, San Diego

Join the Chicano Alumni Council for a night of great food, drink and company at our first mixer of 2010! Meet our new council officers, reconnect with friends, participate in a raffle for great prizes and get a sneak peak at our upcoming events. We hope to see you there!

Meet new Chicano Alumni Council officers: Agustin Orozco, ’94, President; Katherine Arias, ’07, Vice Chair; Jessica Ambrocio Perez, ’07, Secretary; Vivian Valdivia, ’06, Treasurer

The mission of the Chicano Alumni Council is to support Chicano and Latino students at UCSD. We assist students in achieving academic and social success, and address outreach, recruitment and retentions efforts. We look forward to seeing you!

Price: Free