When Yajahira Young Tafolla began applying for financial aid, she wasn’t sure where to start. The 24-year-old student at Cal State San Bernardino, the first in her family to attend college, knew that completing the federal financial aid application (FAFSA) was important. But navigating the application process felt confusing and isolating. “I knew the help was out there,” she said, “but I didn’t know how to get to it.” That changed when she attended a Cash for College workshop coordinated by Growing Inland Achievement and its local partners. There, she received in-person support and walked away with a completed application and a plan for what came next. Her experience reflects that of many Inland Empire students who are navigating college for the first time. It also underscores a critical point: State programs like Cash for College and College Corps are most effective when they are locally coordinated. In regions like the Inland Empire, successful implementation does not happen by chance. It requires a collaborative infrastructure, clear communication and a unified regional intermediary. Growing Inland Achievement serves as the regional coordinator for the Inland Empire for two key statewide initiatives: the California Student Aid Commission’s Cash for College Campaign and California Volunteers’ #CaliforniansForAll College Corps Program. While these programs are designed at the state level, their success hinges on local execution. Across the Inland Empire’s 27,000 square miles and 4.7 million residents, the regional coordinator brings K–12 districts, colleges and community partners together to implement consistent, student-centered support. Administered by the…
