Inland Empire College Corps Fellows gather at a midyear leadership retreat hosted at Cal State San Bernardino. The regional program, coordinated by Growing Inland Achievement, brings together students from eight campuses to serve in areas such as education, climate action and food insecurity.
Photo courtesy of Growing Inland Achievement
When Yajahira Young Tafolla began applying for financial aid, she wasn’t sure where to start. The 24-year-old student at Cal State San Bernardino, the first in her family to attend college, knew that completing the federal financial aid application (FAFSA) was important. But navigating the application process felt confusing and isolating.
“I knew the help was out there,” she said, “but I didn’t know how to get to it.”
That changed when she attended a Cash for College workshop coordinated by Growing Inland Achievement and its local partners. There, she received in-person support and walked away with a completed application and a plan for what came next. Her experience reflects that of many Inland Empire students who are navigating college for the first time.
It also underscores a critical point: State programs like Cash for College and College Corps are most effective when they are locally coordinated. In regions like the Inland Empire, successful implementation does not happen by chance. It requires a collaborative infrastructure, clear communication and a unified regional intermediary.
Growing Inland Achievement serves as the regional coordinator for the Inland Empire for two key statewide initiatives: the California Student Aid Commission’s Cash for College Campaign and California Volunteers’ #CaliforniansForAll College Corps Program. While these programs are designed at the state level, their success hinges on local execution. Across the Inland Empire’s 27,000 square miles and 4.7 million residents, the regional coordinator brings K–12 districts, colleges and community partners together to implement consistent, student-centered support.
Administered by the California Student Aid Commission, Cash for College offers free assistance with financial aid applications from Oct. 1 through June 30, focusing on low-income and first-generation students. The program helps students complete FAFSA, the federal financial aid form, and state grant applications, including for certain undocumented and nonresident students. Maximizing financial aid is crucial if California is to achieve its educational and workforce objectives.
As the Inland Empire’s Cash for College Regional Coordinating Organization, Growing Inland Achievement now supports hundreds of workshops and events each year, ensuring they are accessible, high-quality and aligned across institutions. Its coordination model includes:
- IECashforCollege.org, a regional hub where students can find workshops, resources and live support, and where partners can access training and tools.
- A train-the-trainer system that equips school staff and volunteers to lead workshops in their own communities.
- A regional volunteer pipeline, with bilingual support teams helping students through FAFSA and California Dream Act applications.
- Coordinated messaging campaigns, with ready-to-use toolkits and communications aligned with application windows and deadlines.
The California Volunteers initiative provides up to $10,000 (including stipend and scholarship) to students who complete 450 hours of service in K-12 education, climate action or combating food insecurity. The program serves about 6,500 students statewide, offering leadership and workforce skills while reducing student debt. Communities receive support tackling urgent issues, while the state builds both civic infrastructure and a future workforce rooted in service and social impact.
Since College Corps launched in 2022, Growing Inland Achievement has convened eight higher education institutions, including UC Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino and six community colleges, to participate as a regional consortium. Rather than operating separate efforts on each campus, the Inland Empire uses a shared support model, with Growing Inland Achievement providing:
- Training, evaluation and recruitment tools adapted for local needs.
- Joint service placement coordination with community partners across K–12 education, food insecurity and climate action.
- Regional storytelling and recognition efforts, including orientations, leadership development and training retreats.
- A neutral backbone that helps campuses avoid duplication, align efforts and elevate shared outcomes.
Through this model, more than 300 Inland Empire students each year serve as Fellows, completing 450 hours of service while gaining financial support, professional experience and a deeper connection to civic engagement.
Both initiatives allow large-scale state programs to reach students and families where they are through a local network built on trust and collaboration.
Other regions can adapt this model by:
- Designating a trusted regional intermediary to align cross-sector stakeholders.
- Establishing a shared hub to centralize calendars, resources and volunteer coordination.
- Investing in human infrastructure through practitioner training and bilingual support.
- Using data to target outreach, including mobile and after-hours services where needed.
- Aligning communication so schools, families and students hear consistent messages.
- Celebrating impact through regional convenings, storytelling and student recognition.
California’s economy depends on the success of its regions. The Inland Empire is demonstrating what it takes to transform regional educational attainment and economic success through coordinated action.
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Ashish Vaidya is the president and CEO of Growing Inland Achievement, a nonprofit working to increase educational attainment and socioeconomic mobility in the Inland Empire.
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