Winter 2008 Access Report
Paying for College Bus Tour Continues to Spread College-Is-Possible Message
Tour spokesperson Arnold Hernandez and workshop participants
The Fund’s Paying for College Bus Tour continued its fourth national journey by making its first spring stop in Pharr, Texas on Jan. 8. The Tour is the signature component of The Fund’s coast-to-coast campaign to deliver information, workshops, and other resources on planning and paying for college to low-income and minority young adults.
Last fall, the Tour achieved an important milestone of reaching in person 130,000 students and parents since it first began in 2004. In addition, nearly, $400,000 in scholarships have been given away and more than 600 workshops presented to students and families.
The Paying for College Bus Tour is rooted in research that shows an “information divide” on knowledge of financial aid among low-income and minority populations creates barriers to higher education. Those who have the greatest need for information actually have the least access to it. For example, nearly three out of four young adults say they would have gone to college if they had been aware of their financial aid options.
By taking the Paying for College workshops directly to these communities around the country, more students and their families can get the information and resources they need to make college a reality.
The 2008 Paying for College Bus Tour includes stops in 25 cities. As part of the Tour, workshops focusing on planning and paying for college will be presented by Arnold Hernandez, the Paying for College Bus Tour national spokesperson. Born in South Texas to a migrant farm family, Hernandez spent his childhood working the fields with his family in Texas and Idaho. Determined to pursue a better life through higher education, Hernandez graduated from St. Edward’s University in Texas and went on to work as a TV journalist in Austin. His message to students and families — particularly those who are underserved, minorities, or considered at-risk — focuses on higher education as the pathway to success.
Partners for the 2008 Bus Tour include the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the National Council for Community Education Partnerships (NCCEP), and MTV Tr3s.
Learn more and view the spring Tour schedule (PDF, 160KB).
