By Diana Pando
Applying for college is confusing enough but even more so when you’re trying to find ways to pay for tuition. Today’s  college-bound youth need to be as prepared as possible to understand the procedures of paying for college so they aren’t overwhelmed with debt when they graduate. As part of a financial health initiative, La Casa Student Housing will be hosting College Talks, a series of free workshops for college-bound youth.
“College students should know about money during college because it will benefit us in the long run,” says Dulce Hernandez, a college student and La Casa resident. “It’s the first time we see big numbers (when we receive those grants, scholarships, and loans), and knowing where our money needs to go and when we can save helps out so our student loans don’t pile up.”
The College Talks workshops are designed to help youth navigate and finance the different pathways to college. Recently, the Pew Research Center released a report citing that increases in the Latino population are also resulting in more Latinos enrolling in colleges and universities. According to another article in Education Week by Caralee Adams, “Minorities worry more than whites about paying for higher education, and a new survey finds that Latinos, Asian-Americans, and African-Americans are more likely to see value in the investment for themselves and for the country overall.”
“Some students are also the first ones in their family applying to college,” says Maria Bucio, Director of La Casa, “and in some cases the parents of these youth can’t help them figure out the paperwork because they haven’t gone through the process or there are language issues. It then becomes the responsibility of the student to try to figure out the nuts and bolts of financial aid and that can seem like a daunting task.”
College-bound students are encouraged to take advantage of these free workshops because they’re meant to empower them and provide access to information on how to apply for scholarships, FAFSA, and Federal Student Loans.
“Students can benefit from financial workshops,” says Hernandez, “because it is our first time on our own and some of us think we know everything about money and financing college but there is still more information to be learned.”
Over the long term, workshops such as College Talks will provide our youth with the financial education and tools to get them through college, cultivating the next generation of Latino leaders.
“The College Talks workshop series,” says Bucio, “supports students by doing some hand holding to make sure they get through the process. The workshops are truly a stepping stone to understanding and getting access to higher education opportunities.”
The 2014 schedule of upcoming College Talks Workshops include:
Wednesday, January 8, DreaMer’s Pathways to College
Tuesday, January 14, 2014-2015 FAFSA Step-by-Step
Wednesday, February 12, From Community College to University: How do I make the connection?
Wednesday, March 12, Show Me the Money: How to Find and Win Scholarships
Wednesday, April 9, Deal or No Deal: Did I get a good financial aid offer?
Wednesday, May 14, It’s a Big, Big Loan: An Introduction to Federal Student Loans
Wednesday, June 11, Building Financial Security
All College Talks Workshops take place at La Casa Resource Center located at 1815 S. Paulina Street Chicago, IL 60608.
About La Casa Student Housing
La Casa Student Housing, an initiative of The Resurrection Project, is an innovative solution in student housing that combines the benefits and experience of on-campus living with the affordability of off-campus housing. La Casa was designed to provide Latino students a nurturing, supportive environment to help them successfully complete their bachelor’s degree. La Casa brings the campus experience into the heart of Pilsen, surrounding students with a community of peers, resident advisors, and professional staff. Students also benefit from an onsite Resource Center that provides mentorship and internship programs, extra study space, a computer lab, and more.
For more information on the workshops or La Casa Student Housing contact María Bucio, Director of La Casa Student Housing at (312) 880-1889 or [email protected].

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