Reaching Out To the College Capable

Hispanic students will make up about one-quarter of the nation's college-aged population by the year 2025. Given that demographic trend, boosting the number of college graduates will require policies and programs that focus on Hispanic students and young adults in general.

Excelencia in Education, a non-profit group that works to accelerate Latino success in higher education, recently launched a national initiative to boost Hispanic college graduation rates. The group has enlisted 50 organizations to propel the effort, and they include the American Council on Education, the National Governor's Association, the National Council of La Raza and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

"President Obama's degree-completion goals are unattainable without improving Latino success," Deborah Santiago, vice president for policy and research for Excelencia in Education, said in a news release. "We are not a population on the margin - we're a significant part of this country and the country's future depends on the ability of our educational system to accept this reality."

Santiago said many colleges must do more to serve Latino students and make their academic success a top priority.

"The majority of Latino graduates are a product of completion by chance, not completion by design," said Santiago. "Often, students are told they are the ones who have to change, when in fact the colleges themselves need to adapt as well."