Latino Scholars Program

The Latino Scholars Program supports outstanding college sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are planning to enter graduate or professional schools. The program provides mentoring, advice, networking opportunities and limited financial support for the scholars. Graduate students are welcomed. Participating scholars are supported throughout their graduate work, until they complete a doctoral program, or graduate with a terminal degree in the professions.

The need to establish this effort is quite obvious: in general, Latino college students do not receive enough information on how to apply, finance and enter graduate work. The national data shows that while 5% of White High School graduates do enroll in graduate education after receiving a baccalaureate degree, only 1.9% of Latinos are able to do the same. As most Latino students come from families of modest means, the pressure on them to finish their undergraduate degrees and join the workforce is enormous. Once they are out of school, it is extremely hard to return to complete a masters or a doctoral program.

The program is a pro-active effort to bridge the gap in that educational disparity by making available a dynamic mechanism which provides the exposure and support these students need at a critical time in their college careers. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the completion of doctoral programs by these Latino scholars in all disciplines, with special emphasis in business, the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Students are selected for participation based on a minimum GPA of 3.40 in their current work, demonstration of leadership skills, and recommendations by faculty.

Students must be residents of New Jersey, although students who reside in New Jersey, and attend an institution of higher education out of state are also welcomed.

The program provides mentoring and support for the students, and networking opportunities here and abroad. In March 2007, twenty four students participated in a conference in Puerto Rico, and visited a number of the graduate schools within the University of Puerto Rico network.

In May, 2008 five students toured graduate school facilities at various institutions in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and compared notes with Dominican students and higher education leaders.

In 2009 and 2010, five selected Scholars visited Puerto Rico again and assisted the Institute in organizing the Annual Legislative Conference with the participation of New Jersey and Puerto Rico legislators, at the El San Juan Hotel, in San Juan. In 2011, the Scholars planned the Latino Lecture presented by Dr. John Melendez, Vice President, New Jersey City University, and the Scholars also took the lead in presenting the Annual Latino Parent Education Conference, held at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.

In February, 2012 three Scholars will be participating in the Cuba Education and Cultural Tour, with visitations to Havana University and the Latin American School of Medicine.

This is one of the few programs in the nation which is focused in assisting Latinos and Latinas in entering graduate schools or the professions. Current Scholars include students who are attending schools in New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

A lot of emphasis is placed on placement of our high school students into college, but programs which support our students once they get to college, are very few. The program seeks to increase the number of Latino students in graduate programs across all disciplines, as higher education costs become prohibitive in some quarters.

During this year, this program is supported via contributions received from AT&T Foundation, and Jose Ginarte, Esq., of Ginarte, Laracuente, Winograd et al, Law Firm.

Applications are made available by calling the Institute at 973-273-0273.