I’ve
been scrambling for money for the past couple of weeks:
1) I met with a representative from Americorps, a
national service program that offers free labor.
2) I asked my
boss to look at the budget to see if she can find a little extra money for
me.
3) I talked to Dr. Barton about getting
some funds from the college.
4) I wrote an email to a friend, asking if he had some money lying around.
It just seems so hard to get a little money
for something that will absolutely pay off in the future. I’ve got big ideas, and I just need some
support to make them a reality. I’m
frustrated by the financial roadblocks to my dreams.
I have
these strong feelings about a summer program that I want to create, coordinate,
and run for first-generation college students in the community. These "summer camps" allow for
local soon-to-be-seniors or recent high school graduates to come to our campus
for a week or two to begin creating ties to the college, as that is a huge
indicator of education completion. I
first read about a similar program when I was interning last summer. New students felt confident and excited to
begin school the first day when they had positive experiences over the
summer. I would welcome all students to
my “camp”, but my marketing would focus on the Hispanic community. The
execution of this project could possibly be my capstone project.
Great,
right? I’m a hard-working adult who
wants to provide opportunities for the youth that show so much potential. I really wish I had the money to make this a
reality. I deserve the financial backing
because I want to contribute something valuable to our community. Still, I wait. Still, I brainstorm other possible avenues of
money collection.
I can
only imagine the longing and heart-ache that many Hispanic parents encounter as
they face financial roadblocks. Although
immigrant parents often face many struggles when coming to America to provide a
better life for their children, once a college price tag appears, even the most
hard-working Hispanic families often cannot afford higher education. Undocumented students, even those students
who successfully navigated American elementary schools and then graduated in
the top 5% of their class, have additional barriers because they do not qualify
for any county, state, or federal aid.
There
are scholarships that are not well known, but they do offer tuition assistance to
those eager Hispanic students who do not qualify for traditional Pell grants
and student loans because of legal status.
The list below was provided by the ASU DREAMzone initiative, and applies
to DACA students:
For those Hispanic students that are American citizens, there
are other opportunities for
scholarships to help pay for college attendance. Check out the website
below to find more detailed information about the financial aid process.
Here are a few examples of
scholarships can be found at BestColleges.com:
There are many more opportunities available to Chicanos, but
it will take time, effort, and possibly an ally to help navigate the tricky
course. It will not be easy. Like me, you will have to ask a variety of people/organizations
for money and support, but the result could be life-changing. Parents have sacrificed their time and students
have dedicated their minds; continue to seek opportunities that will reward
your efforts. Don’t let money be a
roadblock to your dreams.
For more information about options for financial assistance in college, please attend the workshops provided by our Financial Aid Office.
https://www.mesacc.edu/intranet/sites/edu.intranet/files/uploads/events/2017/16-17%20Financial%20Literacy%2010132016.pdf
The information is shown below:
Stop Sign Image - http://pearlsofpromiseministries.com/god-allows-roadblocks/
'It's All at MCC' Image - https://www.linkedin.com/school/8036?pathWildcard=8036
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