Tuition assistance. Fully paid field trips. Help with financial aid forms. Interesting workshops. The free use of laptops. Interested?

If you qualify for PASSKey, Palo Alto College Service Key to success, these items could be yours.

There are many ways to qualify for PASSKey: by being a first-generation college student, by coming from a low-income family, or if you are disabled and registered with the disABILITY Services Office.

Qualifying for PASSKey does not guarantee that you will automatically be accepted into the program. PASSKey is limited in the number of students they can assist.

“We can only offer 250 students PASSKey services,” said Judy Anders, PASSKey Student Services Assistant III.

PASSKey is a part of TRIO, which is a government program whose main purpose is to help students succeed in college.

Even though they are only able to accommodate a limited number of students, PASSKey offers many other services to active, good-standing students. For some of the services, you must commit for a full semester.

Benefits include the use of laptops, which have Internet access. That can be convenient for students who have insufficient time to spend at the library or computer labs. Various amounts of scholarship are awarded. The maximum amount awarded during the fall and spring semester is $1,500, and the minimum amount is $400. You must, however, have qualified for a Pell grant and have an unmet need determined by the Student Financial Services Office.

Field trips are offered to all members of PASSKey.

“Past field trips have been to Spurs games, the Majestic Theater, and museums,” said Cherrel Hunter, a sophomore Communications major. “The next field trip is to St. Phillip’s to learn etiquette.”

Workshops are also offered to all members and the entire Palo Alto College community. These workshops include topics such as test anxiety, self-esteem, stress management and more.

“Being a PASSKey program participant is a privilege, not a guarantee. Students must apply and interview to determine if they will be accepted into the program,” said Patty Medina, Coordinator of Student Support Services Program. “It is important we be selective, since we can only offer services to 250 students.”

Three PASSKey students, Beatrice Escobar, Isabel Coronado and Cherrel Hunter, are doing a film on the PASSKey, Palo Alto College and the challenges students face in college.

The film is titled Real Life and is being sent to the Sundance Film Festival. The results will be announced next semester.

If PASSKey sounds like a program that can assist you, go to the PASSKey Office to see if you qualify. Their office is located in the Palomino Center, Room 115. Their hours of operation are from 8:00 to 5:00, Monday through Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 to noon. You can also contact them at 921-5283 or at <http://www.accd.edu/pac/passkey/default.htm>.