A new financial program by SparkPoint has been introduced to further assist the student body. Skyline College partnered with San Mateo County Human Services Agency (SMCHSA) in order to connect students with financial resources that they may be eligible to receive.

The new program SMCHSA introduced is called Benefits Access for College Completion. It offers workshops for public benefits application completion for students. If students are challenged with paying for school as well as living expenses, then this program is worth checking out.

Students can expect incredible assistance from these free workshops that are provided by SparkPoint (located in Building 1 on the 2nd floor in Room 1219.) The public benefits application can be a hassle for some.

Some students can fill out the forms on their own just fine. But others may require more assistance to help them in a step-by-step process.

“We have people willing to meet with those students who are very welcoming, friendly, and helpful,” says Heather D. Smith, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer here at the Spark-Point Center at Skyline College.

When inquired about the space remaining in the program, Smith promptly answers, “There is a lot of
space left. Over 80 students have registered for the program so far and 4 requested one on one assistance.”

The group workshops that meet next month have plenty of room left for students to reap the free benefits.

“BACC is actually our newest program at SparkPoint,” Smith said. “SparkPoint offers services for both
the students and the communities.”

SparkPoint has many other programs besides financial aid and student help. SparkPoint partners
with the food pantry, a non-profit financial coaching organization, growth scholarship, San Mateo’s
Credit Union to provide access to banking services, and they now also look over the career center here at Skyline College.

SparkPoint is a one-stop student resource that has their door opened and is more than willing to welcome students to utilize their facilities.

Most of these programs are absolutely free to use. All a student needs to do is dedicate some time into a program to listen and receive any range of assistance that they may need.

BACC takes place in the Library Computer Lab Classroom in Building 5 on the 2nd floor.

Future dates include:
Dec. 4th: 12:00 pm-3:00 pm
Dec. 5th: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Dec. 11th:10:00 am-1:00 pm
Dec. 12th: 1:00 pm-4:00 pm.