Unlock College Money

Unlock College Money: FAFSA, Scholarships, Grants & Low-Debt Strategies

Join EMPOWER Series on Saturday, May 16 for a practical workshop designed to help students and families better understand how to prepare for college and advanced education without taking on unnecessary debt. The session will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave., Dallas, TX 75215. Networking and refreshments for in-person attendees begin at 10:00 AM, and the program starts at 10:30 AM. The workshop will also be livestreamed on YouTube for those attending virtually.

This session is designed for high school students, current undergraduates, and adults who want to advance their education through college, certificate programs, workforce training, or graduate study. Participants will learn how to choose the right education pathway, understand the true cost of different options, avoid unnecessary debt, and identify how FAFSA, grants, scholarships, employer support, institutional aid, and workforce funding may fit together. The workshop will also cover what materials strengthen scholarship and funding applications, how to build a simple education funding action plan, and what steps to take immediately after the workshop.

The workshop will be taught by Tandy Caraway, founder of CollegeMode Academy. According to CollegeMode Academy, she is an educational consulting expert, speaker, and author who helps families and organizations pursue debt-free college strategies. Her organization says it has helped students secure more than $40 million in scholarships, grants, and fellowships and offers support in areas such as SAT prep, scholarship assistance, and career exploration.

As part of this experience, participants will also be invited to join EMPOWER Series’ Ideas in Action Sessions, a 90-day follow-up series designed to help attendees turn what they learned into action. These group sessions will focus on choosing the pathway, building the funding plan, and preparing and submitting applications and supporting materials. The purpose is to help participants make progress, stay organized, and follow through.

Please note: this workshop and follow-up series are intended for education, planning, and connection to resources. Scholarship, grant, admission, or funding outcomes are not guaranteed and will depend on each participant’s eligibility, deadlines, program choice, application quality, and follow-through.