Education is a human right, and The Higher Education Legal Services Project (HELSP) is a statewide project to enforce just that. They provide legal services to students in California’s community colleges and universities, empowering them to pursue their academics by taking care of the legal barriers.

In a media briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on October 24th, HELSP’s representatives shared their mission, goals, and future plans, highlighting the project’s efforts to provide language access and affordable legal services to students.

Speakers

  • Manoj Govindaiah, Managing Attorney for Immigrant Legal Defense
  • Dr. Kelly Fletes, Dean of Student Services, Monterey Peninsula College
  • California Community College student
  • Alonso Garcia, Senior Program Manager, Equity at Foundation for California Community Colleges

The first speaker, Alonso Garcia, is the Senior Manager of Equity at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Garcia saw that desperate need for, “legal services for students who were facing legal challenges that were impacting their ability to stay in school and complete their education.”

Brought to life in 2018, in the California Colleges Chancellor’s Office, they have been at it since then, growing, helping, serving. The project expanded, including partnerships with universities and nonprofit organizations. They provide legal consultations, representation in court, and assistance with immigration-related issues to students.

As is with any social issue, language is one of the largest barriers. Marrero asked Garcia about the project’s efforts to provide interpreters for non-English speaking students. Garcia responded, “We asked speakers to speak slowly as I’m doing for our interpreters in Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean.” He also mentioned that the project encourages its speakers to answer questions in the chat throughout the conference.

The briefing also addressed the issue of affordable legal services for students. Marrero shared her experience of trying to find affordable or pro bono legal counseling for students facing immigration-related issues. This is not uncommon as Garcia explained, which is why they enlist the help of nonprofit organizations that receive grants from the state government to provide legal services to undocumented immigrants.

Manoj Govindaiah, unloaded his valuable advice for students seeking legal services. He stated, “I think we are seeing very high numbers of immigration right now as we have over the past couple of years as changing economies and changing resources in many parts of the world are driving people to try to reach that American dream here.”

Govindaiah advised students to seek out nonprofit organizations that provide legal services and to be cautious of fraudulent services. He stressed the importance of being able to say “I know my rights,” and getting legal assistance immediately.

The briefing concluded with a discussion of the project’s future goals. Garcia acknowledges that their work is far from over, needing to get in touch with other universities and organizations to cater to even more students. They don’t stop there, with the intention of helping K-12 students too.

Marrero asked Garcia about the impact of the pandemic on the project’s services. Garcia mentions the obvious pivot to a more virtual standing, but nonetheless the project lived on to help the students. If anything, the pandemic increase their demand, especially with the financial struggles the pandemic bequeathed to many.

HELSP undeniably is a valuable asset for students in California’s community colleges and universities, striving to help underprivileged students. The project’s mission to remove legal barriers that may hinder students’ academic success is commendable, and its efforts to provide language access and affordable legal services are crucial. As Govindaiah stated, “We want to make sure that students have the resources they need to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.” The Higher Education Legal Services Project is doing just that, and its impact on students’ lives is immeasurable