GIA Education Report: FAFSA Milestone, “Shop with a Cop,” and Innovative Chemistry Grading

Welcome to the GIA Education Report. With the latest in Southern California education news, I’m Alyssa Silva. 

The U.S. Department of Education announced that over 1.5 million students have submitted their 2025–26 FAFSA applications since the form became widely available on November 21. With 7 million student records processed and sent to institutions within one business day, the streamlined system reflects recent improvements, including accessibility updates and simplified filing for certain households. The Department’s efforts aim to ensure students receive the financial aid needed to pursue higher education opportunities efficiently and effectively. 

In other news, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital partnered with Val Verde Unified School District Police Department to host a “Shop with a Cop” event for 50 children facing challenges such as foster care, homelessness, or parental incarceration. Held at a Walmart in Colton, the event provided each child with $100 to shop for holiday gifts, funded by donations from the police department. Organized by the hospital’s Resiliency Institute for Childhood Adversity (RICA), the event fostered positive connections between children and law enforcement while supporting community engagement. RICA provides services for infants and children up to age 21 in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including mental health support, primary care, and educational advocacy. 

The University of California, Riverside, is revamping its undergraduate chemistry courses with a mastery grading system to improve equity in student outcomes. Supported by a $700,000 NSF grant, this approach replaces infrequent, high-stakes exams with weekly assessments focused on smaller material units. Students can retake tests with different questions, promoting learning over stress. Pilot results showed a 10-point performance increase, with underserved students performing closer to their peers. The program also incorporates growth mindset strategies and is expanding to Mt. San Antonio and Mt. San Jacinto Colleges to reach more students. 

The Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) broke ground on the new Indio Conference Center, a 33,000-square-foot facility designed to reduce travel time for students and educators in the Greater Coachella Valley. Located behind the existing RCOE office, the center will feature flexible meeting spaces, offices, and solar-powered parking. Scheduled to open in late 2026, the facility aims to host events, trainings, and competitions locally, reflecting RCOE’s investment in education and community engagement. This project follows the success of the RCOE Conference Center in Riverside, which has hosted nearly 2,500 events since 2022. 

To close this report, we highlight Kathy Bonilla, a University of Redlands biology major, who has earned a competitive $5,000 research grant from the Sleep Research Society Foundation, supporting her ongoing work on melatonin levels in over-the-counter products. Bonilla’s research, initiated during the university’s Summer Science Research Program, uses enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing to measure melatonin absorption. With the grant funding essential for continuing this research, Bonilla’s project reflects the hands-on undergraduate research opportunities available at Redlands, benefiting both her academic growth and broader scientific understanding. 

And that’s this week’s GIA Education Report, I’m Alyssa Silva.