Armed with a new résumé and new information, José began applying for jobs. José applied for several kitchen positions, but soon realized he was more interested in obtaining a college degree in a field he enjoyed rather than trying to get "just another job." LIFT-Philadelphia volunteers Tasnuva Islam and Meredith Dean encouraged him to apply to the Community College of Philadelphia and explained to him how he could receive federal assistance through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program to offset his tuition costs. They helped José set up his FAFSA application and apply for several state grants, and he successfully secured over $8,000 in financial aid.
Tasnuva and Meredith continued working with José to find affordable housing so that he could move out of his shelter and into an apartment closer to campus. He was ultimately able to obtain a clean, safe room in an apartment for $200 per month. He started classes this past August, and recently contacted volunteers to let them know that he is very happy in his new apartment.
