Houston, TX – Congressman Gene Green’s semi-annual Sallie Mae Fund Paying for College Workshop is back again this month. The free workshop is designed to help students and their families from around the 29th Congressional District learn about the benefits of a college education and how to secure grants, scholarships and loans. Green will attend the workshop, which is presented by the Sallie Mae Fund in partnership with the National Association for College Admission Counseling. One lucky attendee will win a $500 scholarship toward the cost of a college education.
Where: E.L. Furr Senior High School auditorium
520 Mercury Drive, Houston
When: Monday, September 29
7:00 p.m.
Why:
- Research from The Sallie Mae Fund shows that a lack of financial aid knowledge among low-income and minority populations creates barriers to higher education. Nearly three out of four young adults indicated they would have gone to college if they had been aware of their financial aid options.
- African Americans and Hispanics are among those with the lowest educational achievement levels. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that, if current trends continue, of every 100 African-American kindergarteners, 87 will graduate from high school, but only 18 will achieve a bachelor's degree by age 29. For every 100 Hispanic children entering kindergarten, 63 will graduate from high school and only 11 will obtain a bachelor's degree by the age of 29.
- According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs for those with bachelor's degrees grew by 1.8 million during the past 10 years compared to a loss of nearly 700,000 jobs for those with only a high school diploma.
- Graduating from college pays lifelong dividends. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn in excess of $1 million more during their lifetimes on average than high school dropouts.
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