For most parents, figuring out the 1040s, W-2s, W-4s and the other tax-related acronyms is hard enough, and that's before they even start the FAFSA. But in increasing numbers of families, parents are also forced to climb a language barrier, often Spanish, to help their child apply to college.
And that's why the proposal - created by the Latino Coalition, the Undergraduate Assembly, the International Student Council and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions - to offer admissions and financial-aid information in Spanish for parents is so necessary. Parents are an integral part of the college application process and need to be informed at every step. Students, meanwhile, are already busy writing essays or listening to tours, and shouldn't have to divert their attention from their own roles to help their parents.
The actual application should remain in English. It is, after all, the primary language of instruction, and students should be able to complete the forms with ease.
But many worthy Penn applicants come from homes in which English isn't the primary language. And the University is already reaching out to many of these students through participation in the QuestBridge program and the rollout of a broad no-loan financial-aid initiative.
Helping families navigate the admissions and financial-aid process with Spanish-language materials is our next step. It will only increase the diversity, in many dimensions, on Penn's campus.
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