10/07/09 5:45 PM PDT

Impoverished citizens ought to tap the $300 million in government resources that go unclaimed in The City each year, and Mayor Gavin Newsom says he knows one way they should use those funds.

Calling a college education the “pathway out of poverty,” Newsom today was at City College of San Francisco to launch the expansion of a project that helps low-income residents pay the bills while getting an education.

Counselors in the program, called Single Stop, search for government benefits residents may be eligible for and guide them through the application process, the mayor’s office said. They also provide financial counseling, legal assistance and free tax preparation services, it said.

"Single Stop’s groundbreaking partnership with City College will transform the lives of thousands of students by enabling them to complete their college education,” Newsom said in a statement.