Consortium, Workforce Central offer financial aid assistance

Worcester, MA - In an effort to aid workforce development, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium recently partnered with Workforce Central Career Center to help local dislocated workers pursue higher education and training opportunities amidst a challenging economy.

The Consortium's Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) worked in collaboration with Workforce Central to host a series of informative workshops on financial aid. The workshops came in response to measures taken by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor to assist unemployed workers with special consideration for financial aid to help minimize the cost of education and job training while the economy recovers.

Workshop sessions during late summer and early fall provided dislocated workers with information on financial aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), in addition to Pell grants, Educational Opportunity grants, scholarships, college/training programs, career choices and other EOC services. While the financial aid process can often be viewed as a daunting and confusing task for those seeking further training opportunities, the Consortium's EOC advisors helped to ease the process by clarifying the basics of financial aid, including eligibility requirements.

"The ongoing partnership between the Consortium and Workforce Central has only been strengthened by the recent economic crisis," said Marsha Forhan, director, Worcester EOC.

A federally funded TRIO program, the EOC offers free services primarily to economically challenged individuals who will be the first generation of their family to go to college. EOC advisors provide information about and assistance with career goal-setting, earning a GED, English language classes (ESOL), selecting a college or training program, filling out the application paperwork, finding financial aid, and locating other academic support services.

"We anticipated many unemployed individuals would have questions regarding the new financial aid assistance provided by federal Recovery Act funds. Workforce Central Career Center and the Consortium worked together to review and simplify the new guidelines, and held some well-received public information sessions," said Don Anderson, director, Workforce Central Career Center. "The process is now more understandable for people wanting to pursue higher education using this new benefit."