Tuesday, July 18, 2023
GoLocalProv News Team
Charles Kelley, RISLA Executive Director PHOTO: GoLocal
RISLA opened its new College Planning Center located in Chapel View Lifestyle Center in Cranston on Monday.
“Each year, the CPC helps thousands of students and families plan for attending and paying for college,” said RISLA Executive Director Charles Kelley, CPA, CFA, who served as Master of Ceremonies.
“We provide such essential services as hands-on assistance with applying for financial aid, help with resumes and college essays, and tips on how to complete the all-important FAFSA application, which unlocks federal aid,” said Kelley.
RISLA’s College Planning Center (CPC) is a free service dedicated to helping students gain equal access to higher education.
RISLA officials were joined in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Seth Magaziner, and more.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Solanchi Fernandez, Kelly Coates and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse PHOTO: GoLocal
“I strongly believe that every student with the drive to attend college should have the opportunity to go,” said Reed. “The CPC is an invaluable resource to help college-bound students and their families gain a good sense of all options available to them. That’s also why we annually host a free College Financial Aid Workshop to provide an overview of federal and state aid programs and explain ways to apply for them.”
Reed wrote the law streamlining the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to ensure more students could complete the form and get financial aid and supports further improvements to the application process. He also introduced the Pell Grant Preservation & Expansion Act to expand and permanently safeguard the Pell Grant program, helping millions of low-income students offset the rising costs of college.
PHOTO: GoLocal
About Center
The CPC staff provides both in-person and virtual assistance. The College Planning Center, which had previously been located in the Warwick Mall, is open year-round by appointment. Services are offered in English and Spanish.
“It is critically important for the RISLA College Planning Center to find new ways to make college planning easier and more accessible,” said Stacy Crooks, Director of the College Planning Center. “For that reason, we have a full spectrum of products and services available online at collegeplanningcenter.org. However, they are not intended to replace any of the services offered at the College Planning Center, including free one-on-one FAFSA completion appointments.”
PHOTO: GoLocal