University increases Hispanic graduation rates

University increases Hispanic graduation rates

Historically, minority students have lower graduation rates from institutions of higher education. This statistic may change in the coming years, as the Education Trust recently released a list of schools that succeed in graduating Latino student at rates that are similar to those for white students.

The Education Trust named Woodbury University the school where Latino learners are thriving the most, noting that 31 percent of the college's students are Hispanic. The graduation rate for the school's population is 62 percent, which is significantly higher than the national average of 47 percent.

The report - which is called Big Gaps, Small Gaps: Some Colleges and Universities Do Better Than Others in Graduating Hispanic Students - demonstrates how universities that promote student success can have an exceptional impact, especially for Hispanic students.

"Woodbury's Hispanic students are typically the first in their families to go to college, and they're coming here in search of economic success," said David M. Rosen, senior vice president of academic affairs at Woodbury University.

In order to benefit its students, the school provides support services, such as a program that assigns each student a peer mentor for their first semester. Woodbury also provides financial aid to more than 94 percent of its undergraduates.

According to Sallie Mae, a provider of both private and federal student loans, more than $168 billion dollars was awarded in the form of financial aid during the 2008-2009 academic year.

By Mark Danson