By Danielle Ray

LEOMINSTER >> Nonprofit organization College Affordable received a $2,000 donation from city-based All One Credit Union last month in honor of the fifth year of the program for high school students thinking about college.

“This donation from All One Credit Union not only allows us to keep helping more students at Leominster High School but also marks their fifth consecutive year of support for one of our original and most important programs as we’ve grown significantly across the state,” said College Affordable Executive Director Brian Gardiner.

College Affordable was started locally at St. Bernard’s High School in Fitchburg and Leominster High School (LHS) with the mission to help families reduce the cost of college, minimize debt, and increase higher education choices. According to information on its website, most families struggle with the rising costs of college. At College Affordable they position families to secure optimal financial aid from a myriad of sources, help families create budgets, optimize scholarship and grant opportunities, review potential lenders to select the best opportunity, and more.

Team members aim to support students and families with the college financial process by making it more equitable and helping them navigate the process, which saves substantial time and money. Over the years College Affordable has helped over 2,000 high school seniors — 500 of those from LHS — access over $30 million in financial aid for college.

“We’ve learned so much together building our program, which has allowed us to help thousands of students across many similar partner school programs who will continue to need help with their financial aid all the years they pursue their higher education,” Gardiner said. “This all started here, amazing stuff.”

He reported that they now have programs at over 30 high schools across the state — including Fitchburg, Gardner, and Nashoba Regional — and their assistance for students and families is always free, thanks in part to sponsors including All One Credit Union, Rollstone Bank, Fitchburg based Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, and others.

“We also recently started working with the early college and TRIO coordinators,” Gardiner said of his organization’s efforts. “I’m always trying to get more families to utilize this amazing free program and also get donors excited about the impacts of our work.”

For more information on College Affordable visit collegeaffordable.org and watch the YouTube video outlining the program and benefits by visiting youtu.be/jUxuBaQxITc.

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