NEWS

Inland Empire Organizations Kickoff 2025-2026 Cash for College Season

October 10, 2025

With the 2025–26 financial aid season officially underway, regional partners are uniting to ensure every Inland Empire student has access to the support they need.

On October 8, 2025, Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) joined partners from across the Inland Empire to officially kick off the 2025–26 Cash for College season. The regional launch event, held at KVCR Public Media in San Bernardino, brought together education and community leaders committed to helping more students access financial aid for college and career training.

Dr. Ashish Vaidya, GIA’s President and CEO, was among the speakers who offered remarks during the press conference, emphasizing that completing financial aid is a critical step toward realizing the Inland Empire’s shared goal of increased educational attainment.

A coordinated effort for an ambitious region

The Inland Empire is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse regions in California—and the nation.

  • 4.7 million residents across more than 27,000 square miles
  • 56 school districts, 12 community colleges, 6 universities, and 1 tribal college
  • Nearly 1 million students and a median age of 36, younger than both state and national averages

Increasing educational attainment is vital to the region’s future. GIA and its partners share a goal of raising the Inland Empire’s postsecondary attainment rate to 70 percent (from the current 31 percent), which would increase household incomes, add nearly $99,000 per graduate annually to the Gross Regional Product (GRP), and strengthen homeownership, civic engagement, and community well-being.

Why financial aid completion matters

Completing financial aid applications is one of the strongest predictors of college enrollment. According to NCAN, nationally, 92 percent of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA enroll in college by the fall, compared with 51 percent who do not. Each completed application represents a student who can afford to take the next step toward a degree or credential—and a community that benefits from their success.

GIA’s role in regional coordination

As the Inland Empire’s designated Cash for College Regional Coordinating Organization (RCO), Growing Inland Achievement plays a central role in connecting and supporting the network of schools, colleges, and community organizations that make financial aid completion possible across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

GIA’s role is not only to convene partners, but to build the systems, tools, and shared strategies that make this regional effort effective and sustainable. Working closely with the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and numerous local education and community partners, GIA ensures that families can access consistent, high-quality support wherever they reside in the region.

Throughout the year, GIA:

  • Coordinates hundreds of Cash for College workshops that provide in-person and virtual assistance for FAFSA and CADAA completion.
  • Hosts live virtual office hours several times each week, giving students, families, and counselors real-time access to financial aid experts.
  • Provides training, data insights, and communications support to help schools and partner organizations plan, promote, and evaluate their events.
  • Maintains and manages IEcashforcollege.org—the region’s centralized digital hub for financial aid information and resources.

A new and improved IEcashforcollege.org

To align with the kickoff of the 2025–26 Cash for College season, GIA intentionally relaunched IEcashforcollege.org today—a refreshed, data-informed platform designed to make it easier for Inland Empire students and families to access financial aid help when and where they need it.

The site has been completely updated to reflect what students, families, and educators told us they needed most: simplicity, clarity, and local connection. Built for mobile use and fully bilingual, the platform helps users move seamlessly from awareness to action.

New and enhanced features include:

  • A faster, mobile-friendly workshop finder that allows users to locate in-person or virtual events by date, county, or school.
  • English and Spanish navigation and resources, ensuring inclusive access for families across the region.
  • Live virtual office hours hosted by financial aid experts, providing real-time help for students, families, and educators.
  • Step-by-step FAFSA and CADAA guides with checklists and quick links to official state and federal resources.
  • A partner and educator portal where schools, colleges, and community organizations can list workshops, access outreach materials, and download toolkits to promote events.
  • Integrated communications tools that make it easier for partners to share verified information and key deadlines.

The relaunch of IEcashforcollege.org marks an important milestone in GIA’s role as the Inland Empire’s Cash for College Regional Coordinating Organization—offering a single, trusted, and regionally branded resource to help students complete their financial aid applications and take the next step toward college and career success.

Moving forward together

This coordinated campaign reflects the region’s shared commitment to access and opportunity. GIA celebrates the collaborative leadership of partners across the Inland Empire and remains dedicated to providing the data, coordination, and infrastructure that help students move from aspiration to enrollment.

Together, we are expanding access to financial aid, supporting college-going across the region, and advancing a more equitable and prosperous future for Inland Empire students and families.