ASU offers college aid, resources to LA high schoolers affected by the wildfires

Arizona State University is looking to ease the pathway toward admission for Los Angeles-area high school students who’ve been impacted by the California wildfires. As a result, some parameters for admission into the university will be more lenient.

ASU met with Los Angeles-area school officials who had concerns over how students who’ve lost their homes could continue to pursue higher education.

“A majority of the superintendents were most concerned about just the disruption and added stress to an already stressful situation called: searching for college," said Matt Lopez, the executive director admissions at ASU.

Those high school students who are thinking about attending ASU can now contact the university to get details on deadline extensions, one-on-one help with applications and support with managing their educational costs.

With around 20,000 students from California currently attending ASU in-person or online, Lopez said the university feels like it has a fundamental responsibility for the communities it serves.

“Do people say, ‘ASU’s just trying to get more students?’ Well, we’ve never denied that our purpose is to provide educational opportunity," he said.

Students currently enrolled that have been impacted by the wildfires can also request help from ASU through their counseling and academic advising services.

They can also apply for financial help from ASU’s emergency fund which has served hundreds of students since its launch.