Hispanics represent the fastest growing population group in the United States. In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics' most recent Projections of Education Statistics, between 2006 and 2017, enrollment in degree-granting institutions is projected to increase 39 percent for students who are Hispanic. Compare that to a projected increase of only 5 percent for students who are white.

Judging by those statistics, you might expect to see a high percentage of Hispanics with advanced degrees. But that simply hasn't been the case. By 2003, only 3.1 percent of Hispanics 25 years old and over had obtained an advanced degree, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. By comparison, 9.5 percent of their white counterparts had obtained an advanced degree. You don't need an MBA to notice the academic credential chasm between Hispanics and whites.

Increasing the Odds
To bridge the gap, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) has teamed up with colleges and universities across the U.S. to increase the number of Hispanic students completing bachelor's and master's degrees. Through the University Partnership Program, NSHMBA provides select academic institutions with an expanded pool of qualified Hispanic applicants for graduate business programs. In turn, the participating colleges and universities offer partial- to full-tuition scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships to outstanding Hispanic students.

The partnership currently includes 33 universities, and this academic year alone, NSHMBA awarded more than $1.3 million in financial assistance to outstanding Hispanic students pursuing an MBA or the equivalent.

(Interestingly, only two of Hispanic Business magazine's 2008 Top 10 Business Schools for Hispanics are partnering with NSHMBA: Florida International University's Chapman Graduate School of Business and University of Florida's Hough Graduate School of Business.)

Through graduate management education and professional development, NSHMBA is preparing Hispanics for leadership in today's diverse workforce. To learn more about expanding opportunities for Hispanic MBAs, visit http://www.nshmba.org/financial-assist/upp_home.asp.

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