Online Hispanic Financial Aid Resources.

English lit or Spanish conversation? Football or soccer? College or a job? Each new academic year spells decisions for high school students. To help Hispanic students make the choice to include college in their future, the Chrysler, Jeep; and Dodge Brands of DaimlerChrysler have updated their annual financial aid resource, which includes a Web site, http://www.HispanicScholarship.com, and a companion booklet, On the Road to Higher Education: Guide to Hispanic Financial Aid Opportunities.

The 2001-2002 DaimlerChrysler Hispanic scholarship Web site and guide include current information on scholarships, fellowships, grants and other college financial aid programs available to Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students. Students can search the Internet scholarship guide’s database by major field of study, academic level, or state. New this year are rotating Web site articles on “Choosing a College,” “Don’t Get Scammed,” “Financial Aid ABCs,” and “Admission Tests.” Users also can e-mail questions to the site through the new “Contact Us” page, use interactive polls to vote on their favorite Hispanic singer or “dream vehicle,” and refer specific pages to friends via e-mail. In addition, those who opt to do so will receive automatic e-mails with information on college selection and new scholarship listings.

“Parents shouldn’t have to put a price tag on knowledge,” said Janice Tarachowski, Senior Manager of Corporate and Diversity Marketing Communications for DaimlerChrysler. “Every year we go ‘back to school’ with our scholarship resource to help Latino parents and students find funds to make college part of their future.”

Spanish-speaking parents can access a bilingual page on www.HispanicScholarship.com with advice on helping their children stay on track for college. The Web site also includes tips for composing college and scholarship application essays, for preparing resumes and for writing letters. Students can use the sample “Generate a Letter” formats for requesting scholarship information from colleges. The most popular features of the Web site, launched in fall 2000, are the scholarship search page, parents’ page, and the writing tips page.

To order a free copy of the printed guide, while supplies last, write: DaimlerChrysler Hispanic Scholarship Guide, P.O. Box 3189, Highland Park, MI 48203, call toll-free (800) 521-0953 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. EST, or fax a request to (800) 883-8338.

The company also is distributing free copies of the 2001-2002 printed guide throughout the nation to high schools and community colleges with predominantly Hispanic student bodies, as well as to public libraries in cities with large Hispanic populations, and to organizations that work with Hispanic students.

“Money is often a major factor for Hispanic students to decide whether to attend college. As the youngest and largest ethnic population in the nation, Hispanics need to be aided in every way possible to succeed in higher education, so that our national economy and standards of living continue to improve,” said Antonio Flores, President and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. “We commend DaimlerChrysler for sponsoring this excellent publication for Hispanic students and parents to seek financial assistance for college.”

“As a worldwide organization, DaimlerChrysler is committed to diversity. And as a business that employs thousands of people, we want the best-qualified, most innovative workforce possible. Educational access bridges diversity and quality,” Tarachowski added. “We are proud of our commitment to education and involvement with the Hispanic community.”