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For release February 1, 2005

What

The 2005 California Cash for College workshops provide students and their families free, professional help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form, which is required for Cal Grants and other financial aid.

In addition, free tax services will be offered at the workshops to help low-to moderate-income workers apply for federal tax refunds though the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa campaign.

When

The first workshop is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, February 5. The tax services will be provided 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a drop-in basis.

Where

Contra Costa College cafeteria, 2600 Mission Bell Drive, San Pablo. Other workshops are being offered at later dates in Oakland.

Who

The workshops are sponsored by numerous organizations and aim to help high school seniors realize their potential beyond high school by helping them apply for financial aid for college, trade or vocational schools.

The free tax services are for families and individuals who earn less than $36,000 annually and may qualify for federal Earned Income Tax and Child Care credits through Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, a program sponsored by the Family Economic Security Partnership (FESP).

FESP is a public, private and nonprofit collaboration that includes the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department, Contra Costa Health Services, United Way of the Bay Area, First Five Contra Costa, IRS, RichmondWORKS/City of Richmond and East Bay Community Foundation.

For more information on the Cash for College workshops, call VaShone Huff at 510-467-7742 with the Willie McGee Foundation or Monica Montenegro with the East Bay Consortium/Cal-SOAP at 510-879-8367. For more information on the Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, visit cchealth.org/services/tax/ or call 800-358-8832.

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