Press Releases

The featured guests on this week’s En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery (In Tune with the Montgomery County Council) will include Gustavo Minaya, financial aid outreach counselor at Montgomery College; Kenia Almendárez, business counselor for Child Care Support Services at the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); and Ana Arriaza, manager of partnership and engagement at the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The show will air on Friday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. on Radio America (WILC 900AM) and is streamed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.  

The radio program will focus on financial assistance for students who wish to pursue higher education in Maryland. The application period for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has already begun. Applicants need to be aware of the changes for this year. The FAFSA form 2024-25 broadens the eligibility criteria for receiving federal student aid, including federal Pell grants, and offers an improved user experience. The updates to the student aid calculations mean that 610,000 new low-income students will qualify for Pell grants. Mr. Minaya will discuss the changes and explain Montgomery College's efforts to support students with the application process. 

The second half of the show will focus on the EquiCare grant, a financial support program aimed at assisting low-income families in Montgomery County. This program has a total budget of $1 million, which is intended to help parents and licensed childcare center providers with the costs of caring for their children aged between six weeks and 36 months. Ms. Almendárez will share details on eligibility criteria, the application process and more.  

As February begins, it is important to be prepared for winter storms. DEP and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation would like to remind residents to use salt sparingly. The Salt Wise 2024 campaign has been launched to raise awareness about the negative impact of excessive salt use on our environment and drinking water during winter weather. The radio program will conclude with helpful recommendations from Ms. Arriaza. 

The Montgomery County Council and Radio America have entered a partnership that provides the Latino community with key information on issues and programs. The partnership also provides a forum for residents to express their views and ask questions. The partnership includes the weekly one-hour show each Friday on the Washington metropolitan area’s most popular Spanish language station.     

Each week, the show features host Marcela Rodriguez, Council program manager and public information officer, and guests talking about important issues before the Council and provides information about programs offered by the County to help residents.