Allan Hancock College and the Central Coast Cal-SOAP Consortium hosted a conversation with the executive director of the California Student Aid Commission on September 30 at the Santa Maria campus.
The event, "A Conversation with Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D.," was held on Wednesday at Boyd Hall.
It brought together educators, counselors, student services professionals, community advocates, college students and others interested in supporting college access and financial aid throughout the Central Coast.
"When a student enrolls at the University of California -- the closest one here is in Santa Barbara — 70% of those students who enroll actually receive financial aid, which means that they could be getting tuition and fees paid for just by applying for financial aid," Gonzales said.
A CSAC Annual Statewide Financial Aid Workshop followed the conversation.
Gonzales brings more than 2 decades of experience in higher education and statewide fiscal policy.
Before leading the California Student Aid Commission, she served as deputy chancellor and later acting and interim chancellor of the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, where she helped oversee policy and resources supporting 116 colleges and 1.9 million students.
She previously worked with the California Assembly Appropriations and Budget committees.
