TO AVOID DEVASTATING CUTS TO EDUCATION

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Student Aid Commission has announced its unanimous support for urging Congress and the President to amend the Budget Control Act of 2011 which imposes across the board cuts, known as sequestration, amounting to an 8.2 percent cut to educational grants and programs benefitting California's students.

John R. McDowell, Jr., Commission Chair said, "With a projected $15 million in cuts to State Grants for Career and Technical Education, an estimated 330,000 California high school and community college students will lose the opportunity to receive preparation for future employment in high-demand, occupational fields such as healthcare, renewable, science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

Diana Fuentes-Michel, Commission Executive Director responded, "It's the Commission's mission is to make education beyond high school financially accessible to all Californians. These anticipated cuts would take away tutoring, counseling, and financial aid assistance from California's most vulnerable populations: low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students."

The Commission is California's principal state agency responsible for administering financial aid programs for students attending public and private universities, colleges and vocational schools. It consists of 15 appointed members representing students, educational institutional segments, higher education representatives, and the general public. For more information, please visit www.csac.ca.gov or contact Patti Colston at 916-206-1285.

SOURCE California Student Aid Commission