College Toolkit offers valuable new resource for underrepresented populations

ELLENSBURG — Prospective college students in Washington who are on the fence about pursuing a degree have a new online resource to help them figure out if higher education is right for them. The College Toolkit, which launched last month, provides prospective students — specifically those from underrepresented backgrounds — with valuable information about how to apply to college and pursue financial aid. The website features additional resources for families, along with video portraits of four current college students who share their stories and tips, along with things they wish they knew when making the decision to attend college. “I thought I could get a job somewhere and work my way up, but a lot of jobs ask for the four-year degree and they need the four-year degree, so I took that and decided, ‘I really need to go to college,’” Central Washington University aviation management major Janae Martinez said in the video. “I need that degree to get to my end goal and where I want to be in life.”