The Obama administration has released a free guide to help the growing number of Hispanic students who aspire to go to college connect with the resources they need to pay for and complete a degree.
Available online in English and Spanish, the 21-page booklet includes information about college applications, the search process, and financial aid. It has details particular to the Hispanic community including filling out forms for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and non-U.S. citizen students.
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics developed the materials to help increase access, persistence, and completion in college for this expanding group of students, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Education. In 2012, nearly 70 percent of Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college. There are challenges, however, getting students to the finish line. Just 15 percent of Latinos in the U.S. have a bachelor’s degree.
High schools across the country serving Latino students are coming up with innovative strategies to help improve their postsecondary success. To underscore some of that work, Alejandra Ceja, executive director of the White House initiative, visited Millbrook High School in Raleigh, N.C., on May 8 where the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals has put on workshops for families and school administrators about navigating the college system through its Graduate! program.
As part of a series of education department events addressing college issues, including success for minority students, on May 9, there will be a National Policy Forum on College Access in Durham, N.C. to discuss ways to increase high school completion, college access and degree completion.