GUARDIAN SCHOLARS
Office Location: Student Services SS307
The following services are provided to eligible students who are or were in foster care:
- Priority Registration (if eligible) Foster Youth Higher Education Priority Registration(AB 194) AB 194 requires California Community Colleges to grant priority registration to foster youth and former foster youth through the age of 24 or bill sunset date of 2017 . In order for Rio Hondo College to verify your eligibility you need to provide documentation such as a Ward of the Court Letter or other Court documentation verifying your foster care status to the Guardian Scholars Office located in the Student Services Building 3rd floor SS307. (Click here to direct you to references where you may request a Ward of the Court Verification if you do not have any form of documentation.)
- Counseling Services
- One-to-One assistance & Support
- Referrals to on-campus resources/services & liaisons on campus
- Workshops
- College supplies & Textbook assistance (coming soon Fall 2015 semester) * based on funding by the John Burton Book Fund
- Snack Pantry
- Access to Student Computer/Printer
- Referrals to off-campus resources
- Access to Transitional Resource Coordinators for (ILP County Services & Benefits) such as Housing, Educational Expenses, transportation, Medi-Cal, etc. (List of Coordinators available under Youth/Student Resources section)
The California Community Colleges established the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) to assist foster youth in accessing and successfully completing college.
The goals of this initiative are to improve:
- Access to student services and resources
- Access to academic support
- Retention
- Academic performance
- Completion of units
- Completion of programs and degree
- Transfer rates to baccalaureate
The FYSI Liaisons @ Rio Hondo College are committed to supporting foster youth through thier educational journey. For questions and assistance, please contact:
Marisela Saenz, Interim Counselor/Coordinator @ (562) 463-7472 Guardian Scholars (Room SS307) or Deborah V. Lopez in the Financial Aid Office (Room SS130)
You can find more information about FYSI, additional resources, and a complete list of all 112 College Liaisons at:
http://extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/StudentServices/FosterYouthSuccessInitiatives.aspx