What Do I Bring to My First Appointment?
The first appointment in the CalWORKs department is very important. You must bring to the office any current documentation that can help the counselors and advisors with your case. You must bring:
- A current Notice of Action or Verification of Benefits (NOA/VOB must be dated no more than two weeks prior to your first appointment in the Citrus College CalWORKs office). To obtain a copy of your current Verification of Benefits, go to the Department of Public Social Services where you applied for cash aid, and ask for a copy. It is not necessary to see your own Eligibility Worker. A copy of the Verification of Benefits will be printed for you while you wait.
- A GN6006 or GN6005A form (from your current GAIN worker)
- Picture ID
- Any GAIN paperwork your GAIN worker has asked you to have completed by the CalWORKs department
What to Expect During My First Appointment?
The first appointment will take approximately one hour. Please check in at the CalWORKs department at least ten minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. The clerical staff will make a copy of your NOA/VOB and picture ID. The staff will provide you with a CalWORKs Intake Form and a Release of Information form.
During your appointment with the counselor/advisor, the focus will be on your individual situation and case, and what your professional, academic, and personal goals are. If you have not applied to Citrus College yet, you may do so prior to coming in for your appointment by logging on to the college website at www.citruscollege.edu and filling out the student application for enrollment under Admissions and Records.
We will refer you to the Financial Aid department to apply for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver, and FAFSA. If you qualify, the fee waiver will waive the fees for your enrollment. You will most likely only be responsible for a small student service fee, and health fee. We will also refer you to the Extended Opportunities and Services department, also known as EOPS. The EOPS department provides additional support services for the CalWORKs student. Next, we will refer you to the Testing Center for an assessment test. There is no appointment necessary but you should allow at least an hour and a half to take the test although the test is not timed. The results of this test will help to place you in an appropriate class based on your skills in English, Reading, ESL, and Math.
You may be interested in placing your child(ren's) name on the waiting list for the Orfalea Family Child Development Center on campus for childcare. The waiting time for a child to be accepted into the center varies from year to year.