What's Inside...
Good Deeds and Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed
District Office:
2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640
Anaheim, CA 92806
Tel: (714) 939-8469
Fax: (714) 939-8986
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0069
Tel: (916) 319-2069
Fax: (916) 319-2169
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| Assemblyman Solorio welcomes guests to his Education Town Hall meeting. |
Nearly 200 people attended our Education Town Hall meeting, "The State of Education in California," that I hosted on November 14th in Santa Ana. The meeting brought educators, administrators and community leaders together to discuss the results of recent studies regarding California's educational system and ways to finance, reform, and improve schools.
I was impressed that more than 30 community members provided public testimony and many people expressed an interest in holding additional town hall meetings to discuss education in California.
Thomas Timar, Ph.D., research director for the Governor's Advisory Committee on Education Excellence and professor of education at the University of California, Davis, provided a presentation of the 23 studies that comprise Getting Down to Facts. These studies were completed under the auspices of the Institute for Research on Education Policy & Practice (IREPP) at Stanford University and can be viewed online at www.irepp.net.
Getting Down to Facts provides a groundbreaking analysis of the resources needed to adequately educate a child, as well as how our state's educational system can be reformed. I hosted the town hall meeting because it is important for our communities to have an understanding of this information so they can help improve our schools. I also wanted to hear from you about how you think the state's education system should be improved.
I also want to invite you to our Anaheim District Office's 1st Annual Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 18, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Our district office is located at 2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640, Anaheim (immediately north of Angel Stadium). Let's celebrate our first successful year in the Legislature and discuss ideas for 2008.
To RSVP or for more information, please contact Mayela Montenegro at (714) 939-8469 or by email at mayela.montenegro@asm.ca.gov.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me at Assemblymember.Solorio@assembly.ca.gov if you have any ideas or need assistance with any other matters.
Sincerely,
Jose Solorio
State Assemblyman
Assemblyman Solorio and other legislators spent the fall working in an extraordinary legislative session to try to reach agreement on two of California's biggest concerns: healthcare and water resources. Of the many proposals legislators considered, two bills are enjoying increased attention.
ABX1 1 (Núñez), a health care reform bill recently passed by the Assembly in an historic session, is based on the principle of shared responsibility between government, individuals, hospitals and employers. The bill would require everybody to have insurance (with some exceptions for affordability) and would create a "pay or play" system for employers. In other words, employers would be required to offer coverage or contribute 2 to 6.5% of payroll toward the cost of employees' coverage. The bill also expands eligibility for public health insurance programs for children and parents, aims to improve access to coverage on the individual insurance market, and has provisions to help contain health care costs.
Regarding water resources, it is the condition of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that is alarming legislators. Approximately 80 percent of the water in California moves via pumps from sources north of the Delta to farms and communities in Southern California. California's economic vitality, its wildlife habitat, shipping, transportation, drinking water, and recreation all rely on a healthy and plentiful source of water delivered via the Delta. A water bond bill, SBX2 2 (Perata), authorizes $6.8 billion in general obligation bonds to be placed on the February 2008 ballot to provide funding for water supply reliability, Delta sustainability, and conservation and pollution cleanup.
Good Deeds And Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed
One of Orange County's finest was awarded California's Medal of Valor, the highest honor that California bestows on its public servants. Duane Greaver, of Santa Ana, performed an extraordinary act of heroism by rescuing a suicidal suspect from a burning vehicle on June 8, 2005. Our community is a safer place because of California Highway Patrol officers like Duane who risk their own lives to save others.
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Assemblymember Solorio congratulates Santa Ana business leaders at the opening of Santa Ana Business Bank. |
Congratulations to the newly opened Santa Ana Business Bank in Downtown Santa Ana! This is the first bank that has been headquartered in Santa Ana for decades. The new bank hopes to answer the need for banking services for small and mid-sized businesses in Santa Ana's downtown.
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Assemblyman Solorio congratulates Dr. Juan Francisco Lara, assistant vice chancellor, University of California, Irvine for his 35 years of service. |
Congratulations to Dr. Juan Francisco Lara for his more than 35 years of service to the University of California, Irvine and his strong commitment and dedication to providing Californians access to higher education. Thank you for serving as a role model and inspiration to our community.
Thanks to the Walt Disney Company for committing more than $1 billion to improve Disney's California Adventure theme park. This new investment, the largest Disney has ever spent to renovate a theme park, will add significant new entertainment and major family-oriented attractions to the Disneyland Resort and help stimulate the local economy by creating a number of new Orange County jobs.
Assemblyman Solorio presents an Assembly Certificate of Recognition to Garden Grove Fire Chief Keith Osborn at his retirement reception. |
Best wishes to Garden Grove Fire Chief Keith Osborn on his retirement after 31 years of dedicated service to the Garden Grove Fire Department (GGFD) and the residents of the City of Garden Grove. His efforts to upgrade the department's fire fighting equipment have made a great difference in its ability to protect the lives and property of Garden Grove residents. Thank you, Chief Osborn, for your compassionate service and outstanding leadership.
Congratulations to Anaheim Union High School District's Oxford Academy on recently being named one of the top five high schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. This honor confers national recognition to this college preparatory high school for the extraordinary academic achievements of its students and the outstanding work of its parents, teachers, staff, and administrators, especially Principal Kathy Scott.
Financial Aid for College Students
As the cost of education beyond high school continues to rise, the prospect of paying for a student's college expenses can be overwhelming. Assemblyman Solorio encourages high school seniors to apply to college - whether they think they can afford it or not - because there are many federal, state, private loan, and scholarship programs available. Students and parents need to explore all their options to make the best decision regarding which colleges are affordable for them.
The best place to start is with the student's high school counselor or a counselor at a college financial aid office. The following is important information and websites that will help students and parents navigate the financial aid for college process:
Types of Financial Aid
GRANTS are money you don't have to pay back and are usually based on financial need.
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Federal Pell Grants are awarded to every student who qualifies and may be used at any qualifying college in the country, including California Community Colleges. Awards range from $400 to $4,800 a year, depending on your financial need, your college costs, and whether you attend full time, half time, or less than half time.
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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Those who receive the Pell Grant receive priority for FSEOG awards, which range from $100 to $4,000 a year, depending on when you apply, your financial need, and your school's policies.
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Cal Grant A helps pay for tuition and fees at California's four-year colleges and selected private career colleges. For 2007-08, awards were up to $6,636 at a University of California campus, up to $2,772 at a California State University campus, and up to $9,708 at independent colleges. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.0 high school GPA.
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Cal Grant B provides a living allowance of up to $1,551 for the freshman year, as well as a tuition and fee award when renewed or awarded beyond the first year, at two- and four-year colleges. To qualify, students must have at least a 2.0 high school GPA.
WORK-STUDY lets you earn money for college in a job on or off campus. The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time employment while a student is enrolled in school to help pay for educational expenses. The program is administered by each participating school.
LOANS are borrowed money that you must repay, usually with interest.
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Federal Stafford Loans are for students at all types of colleges who attend at least half time. The interest rate is fixed at 6.8 percent, and a student may borrow up to $7,500 a year as a freshman, $8,500 as a sophomore, and up to $10,500 each year as a junior or senior. There are two types - subsidized and unsubsidized.
- Subsidized Stafford loans are for students with financial need. The federal government pays the interest on these loans while the student is in college.
- Unsubsidized Stafford loans are for all eligible students, but the borrower must pay all the interest that accrues, even while in college.
- Subsidized Stafford loans are for students with financial need. The federal government pays the interest on these loans while the student is in college.
- Federal Perkins Loans are low-interest loans for students with exceptional financial need at participating colleges. No interest accrues while the student is in school, and the interest rate is 5 percent upon repayment. Up to $4,000 a year is available depending application date, financial need, and available funds.
Eligibility Standards for Government Loans and Grants
Educational Requirements:
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Have a high school diploma or its equivalent, complete a high school education in a home-school setting approved by your state, or pass an "ability to benefit" test.
Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program.
Maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by your college.
Legal Requirements:
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Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen.
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Have a valid Social Security number.
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Be a California state resident (for most state aid)
Financial Requirements:
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Vary from program to program, but the income levels may be higher than assumed to qualify for tuition aid.
How to Apply for Student Tuition Assistance
- Apply for a PIN. Go to www.pin.ed.gov and request a personal identification number (PIN), which will allow you to apply online for federal student aid, sign the application electronically, and access your aid records online.
- Complete your FAFSA. To determine eligibility for federal student financial assistance, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online at www.fafsa.edu.gov Collect the documents needed to apply, including income tax returns and W-2 forms. Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1.
- Submit your verified Cal Grant GPA. The Cal Grant GPA Verification Form is available online at www.calgrants.org. The deadline to submit this form to the California Student Aid Commission is March 2.
- Check your SAR. After submitting the FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which contains a summary of your FAFSA information and lists the amount of money the government believes your family can reasonably contribute toward the student's education. Each college you list on the application will receive this information.
Useful Websites
Federal Student Aid: www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov
Free Help Completing the FAFSA: www.studentaid.ed.gov/completefafsa
California State Aid: www.calgrants.org
California Student Aid Commission: www.csac.ca.gov
Mini-Biography of Assemblyman Jose Solorio
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Prior to joining the Assembly, Solorio served on the Santa Ana City Council and worked for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). Solorio has an inspirational personal story to tell. He is the son and grandson of farm workers and grew up working in the fields and orchards of the Central Valley. His parents are humble people who taught him simple lessons: "Study hard. Work hard. Treat everyone equally. Take care of your family." Assemblyman Solorio plans to stay true to those values as he writes laws and engages in the political debate in Sacramento.
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