For the spring semester of 2022, College of the Desert offered a grant of $100 per unit. Both credit and non-credit courses are eligible, thanks to the U.S. Department of Education. 

A grant is money given by an organization for a specific purpose that does not need to be repaid. 

Students who plan to enroll in spring classes in COD will be able to receive up to $1,800 for the semester.  This is more than double per unit which is the cost of $46. If students are taking noncredit courses, they can earn up to $25 per course for adult basic education and upper-division and all the way to $150 per course for English as a Second Language noncredit. 

According to the COD press release, College of the Desert President Martha Garcia said, “This grant allows College of the Desert to make education much more affordable for the spring term.” 

Even though there is no application required for the grant, everyone is encouraged to apply for the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or students can also apply for the California Dream Act Application.

“The College is thankful to help our students and potential students who had to forgo their education because of the pandemic, and provide them with funds to pay for books, tuition, living expenses, and other necessities,” said Garcia. 

Registration for the Spring 2022 semester began on Monday, November 29. If students become a grant recipient, they have enroll in classes by March 15 to qualify. 

“This is a spectacular grant available at a critical time for people who want to pursue higher education. This grant also allows our students to continue their studies, graduate, transfer, or obtain employment. As an institution, we are offering this grant to support our students and our community to help them succeed during this pandemic,” said Oscar Espinoza-Parra, dean of enrollment services. 

Emily Sanchez-Diaz ‘22 plans to attend COD next school year.

“I think it is an awesome idea that they were able to give so much money to their students,” she said, “especially since I know many family members who either struggled to try to afford their college [tuition] or ended up not even going to college because they could not even afford to get there. With that money, the students who were eligible for this grant can buy books and whatever they need for that class without worrying about it much.” 

Another opportunity that students may find very useful is the EDGE/plEDGE program, which provides free tuition and fees at College of the Desert. There are some requirements and commitments to becoming a plEDGE student, like being a 2022 high school graduate within the Coachella Valley. The second step is to apply and the final step is to complete the summer bridge EDGE program immediately after graduating from high school.  

Students must complete EDGE to be eligible for plEDGE. The commitments are more demanding, as students need to enroll full-time (with at least 12 units) in the fall and spring semesters.  Students would also have to maintain a 2.0 GPA, serve 10 hours of community service, complete financial aid by December 16, and finally attend one Career workshop.