APS wants kids to sign up for student aid

Workshops will help local highschoolers access federal money for college

Albuquerque Public Schools hopes more local kids will claim their share of the $150 billion in student aid available from the federal government.

In the next few weeks, APS is launching a new series of workshops on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

The workshops will be offered at all district high schools, as well as the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College, and continue throughout the school year.

Funding for the sessions comes from a $55,000 grant from the National College Access Network through a partnership with the Kresge Foundation.

“We know many of our students and our families do not have the resources to pay for secondary education,” said Yvonne Garcia, associate superintendent for high school education. “They might be able to if they complete the FAFSA.”

APS aims to have 63 percent of all high school seniors fill out the application, up from about 50 percent last year.

Manzano High School college and career counselor Monique Baca said she encourages families from all income levels to take part.

“You don’t know what you are going to get until you fill it out,” she said. “FAFSA looks at so many aspects of your life that you don’t know what you qualify for.”

University of New Mexico freshman Rachel Blea paid for her entire first year of college with federal student aid, and now she is pushing her younger cousins to complete the FAFSA.

“My mom and I turned it in and I am so grateful we did,” said Blea, a business major. “I got a lot more than I expected.”

For more information, go to fafsa. ed.gov.