The Inland Empire non-profit, Building Wealth Initiative I.E. (BWI), will host two summer workshops at California State University, San Bernardino that will assist local high school graduates and adults in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) application for Pell Grant and Cal Grant state and federal funding, to attend college. 

The workshops will take place on June 21 and July 12 at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration on the CSUSB campus. Those wishing to attend must register in advance to reserve a seat and assistance from a trained advisor. Register online at Cash for College Registration. 

“Every year millions of dollars in financial aid is being left unapplied for in inland Southern California, often due to the difficult application process,” said Roberta Albano, an executive board member for BWI and a professor at CSUSB. “Our goal is to help more of our students receive that money and realize their dreams.”

Added Lacey Kendall, a professor at CSUSB and BWI board member, “The workshops will allow local students and families to work with California Student Aid Commission-trained bilingual assistants to complete the process in each one-evening workshop.”

Each workshop will allow 35 attendees to use a workstation where they can complete the application with guidance from the trained assistants. The registration website includes all information and documents for students to bring with them.

Building Wealth Initiative I.E. is an organization focused on helping Inland Empire residents, small business owners and non-profits find greater success through free workshops, training sessions, business connections and grant opportunities.  

"BWI is a unique organization for Inland Empire residents who want to find greater success in their business and personal lives,” said Albano.

BWI has partnered with Growing Inland Achievement and the California Student Aid Commission to make the workshops possible. Growing Inland Achievement is a cross-sector network of education, government, non-profit, and business partners in the Inland Empire, collectively aimed at a shared vision of increasing educational attainment and economic success.

“Partnerships like this are incredibly important for increasing equitable access to college for Inland Empire students,” said Jacob Poore, director of communication for GIA.

For information about Building Wealth Initiative I.E., contact Lacey Kendall at lacey@csusb.edu. For information about Growing Inland Achievement, contact Jake Poore at jake@inlandempiregia.org.

For more information about California State University, San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007, or visit the CSUSB website at www.csusb.edu.