In an effort to help some students get acclimated to college Fort Hays State University will host the Hispanic College Institute this June.

According to the university, the four-day, residential program is aimed at preparing high school Hispanic and Latino students in Kansas to enter and succeed in higher education.

Mirta Martin, FHSU president, recently told the Kansas Information Network that she first launched this program during her time in Virginia and it was a success.

“It is designed to allow our students, especially first-generation students to navigate the American educational system so they now how they can enroll in college,” Martin added “more importantly how they can succeed and graduate from college.”

During the program student will get an opportunity to meet with Hispanic leaders, mentors and role models, learn about the college admission process, meet with FHSU admissions and financial aid representatives and write a college application essay while staying on the FHSU campus.

With the growing Hispanic population in Kansas Martin said, “it was time for us to do it.”

The program is free for Hispanic and Latino high school sophomores (Class of 2018) or juniors (Class of 2017) from Kansas. It will be held June 22nd through the 25th.

For more information and to fill out an application go to http://www.fhsu.edu/hci/.

The application deadline is April 1, 2016.