ATLANTA -- The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges (GFIC) has received two $50,000 grants for a new initiative to increase recruitment, retention and graduation rates of Georgia’s Hispanic/Latino students. United Parcel Service (UPS) funds allowed for the initial competitive challenge grant to be awarded by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education in Washington, D.C., and the matching gift is being provided by TG of Round Rock, Texas. The grants will allow GFIC to pilot a recruitment and retention program involving four of the organization’s member institutions.

Berry College, Brenau University, Morehouse College, and Oglethorpe University will participate in the pilot project. By sharing resources and personnel, the colleges hope to maximize efficiencies and expenditures for the institutions, while providing an enhanced outreach to the state’s Hispanic/Latino populations.

“These grants provide initial funding for ‘Proyecto Graduación,’” says Katrina Graham, vice president of GFIC. “FIHE’s First Opportunity Partners Venture Fund called for matching dollars and partnerships. With the new TG Public Benefits Grant program, we found the perfect match. We plan to seek additional partners as we move forward.”

Lucy Leusch, vice president for Enrollment and Financial Aid at Oglethorpe University, stresses the importance of reaching out to the Hispanic/Latino population.

“Georgia has one of the fastest growing Hispanic/Latino populations in the country. It is important to ensure that families and students have a clear understanding of the college admissions process. Oglethorpe University is excited about this grant and the opportunity it provides for collaboration with the other colleges. We are grateful to TG and to FIHE for their partnerships in this important effort.”

“Through this project, we intend to educate Hispanic/Latino families about opportunities afforded by Georgia’s independent colleges,” said Scott Briell, vice president for Marketing and Dean of Admissions, Brenau University. “We also want to instill in our Hispanic/Latino students a desire to stay in college and graduate.”

Joining the project as coordinator, Sandra Pascual, a native of Argentina, will head up the recruitment effort. Pascual finished her college education in Georgia and is working on a master’s in community counseling. She previously has served as an interpreter within the court system, and with parents in a children and adolescents mental health clinic. "Working as an interpreter for Hispanic parents (and being one of them) made me realize how difficult it is for us to understand the U. S. educational system. Most of our countries have a very traditional education, with very few options. We don’t have to deal with electives, credits, connections, SATs, ACTs, and GPAs. Here, schools usually assume, particularly if the parents speak English, that they have certain knowledge of the system. So they receive the same information as everyone else. As a result, most Hispanic parents have no option but to rely on the information our teenage children selectively give us. There is a need for this program and I’m excited to be involved.”

The collaboration of the four colleges will involve enrollment management, admissions and student affairs from each of the colleges. “This program is about outreach and learning new ways to recruit and retain Hispanic/Latino students,” said Dana Paul, dean of Admissions/Financial Aid at Berry College. “The four colleges are partnering in a way that hasn’t been tried before; we hope to show economies of sharing a recruiter and an advisor/mentor, while increasing the pool of eligible students.”

The project’s retention advisor/mentor will work with prospective students to help them make a successful transition to college. Creation of a new program, ‘The Hispanic Student Institute,’ will provide additional opportunities for the students. At an initial retreat weekend, they will hear from successful graduates and community leaders and be able to discuss their own concerns and challenges.

“The Institute’s purpose is to allow students to form friendships and contacts with their peers, thus providing an additional support system during college years,” said Danny Bellinger, project director of Project Identity, a program that seeks to guide middle school African American students through high school and into college at Morehouse College. “A critical focus of Proyecto Graduación is retention; we want to identify challenges early on and help students stay in school and graduate.”

About Foundation for Independent Higher Education
The Foundation for Independent Higher Education is the national partner in a network of 34 state and regional associations representing more than 640 private colleges and universities, including The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, which develops resources for private colleges and universities. Proyecto Graduación was one of three grants funded through FIHE’s First Opportunity Partners Venture Fund, which supports new collaborative and innovative approaches to increasing access for targeted underserved populations. The funding for the planning for the First Opportunity Partners initiative has come from The UPS Foundation, and UPS has continued to support the initiative with annual gifts. Additional support for the initiative comes from the UPS Educational Endowment Fund, which is managed by FIHE and now is valued at $43 million.

About TG
Through initiatives like the Public Benefit Program, TG seeks to connect students with opportunities to continue their education through high school and beyond. By informing students and families about the ways and means to make educational access and success possible, TG shapes the future - not only for individual students, but for society as a whole. TG is a public, nonprofit corporation that helps create access to higher education for millions of families and students through its role as an administrator of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Its vision is to be the premier source of information, financing, and assistance to help all families and students realize their educational and career dreams. Additional information about TG can be found at www.tgslc.org.

About The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges
Celebrating 50 years of supporting student success, The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges provides a convenient way to support and contribute to 25 of Georgia’s independent, non-profit, liberal arts colleges and universities. GFIC educates Georgia citizens on how private education serves the state; seeks funding for student financial aid; and represents the institutions in the public policy arena. GFIC is a tax-exempt, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more, visit GFIC at www.georgiacolleges.org.