Latina/o Parent Experiences With College Financial Aid: The Cultural Assets Used to Help Their Children

• In Event: Students of Color and Family Impact on Their Educational Experiences

Abstract

This phenomenological study examined the experiences that Latino/a parents have with financial aid planning and processes. The themes that emerged from the data detail unfamiliarity that Latino/a parents’ have with financial aid planning and processes; their identification of FAFSA as the most difficult step of the financial aid process; the sources of financial aid information, guidance and assistance experienced by the parents; and the impact of financial aid on their children’s college choices. Applying Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model to these data revealed that the Latino/a parents employed navigational, social, familial, and aspirational capital as they assisted their children with the financial aid planning and processes, and that these sources of capital can lead to postsecondary enrollment and success.

Author

• Eyra Alicia Perez, The University of Texas - San Antonio