Bright Futures

University Awarded Grant from The Goizueta Foundation to Assist Hispanic/Latino Students

Where the state’s Hispanic/Latino students are concerned, Georgia Southern is poised to reclutar y retener.

Thanks to a $913,752 grant from the Goizueta Foundation, the University will be recruiting and retaining students with $500,000 in need-based tuition assistance for those whose families currently reside in the United States.

The grant provides an additional $317,752 to cover salary and benefits for a new assistant director for Hispanic and Latino Services for four years. It also provides $96,000 during a period of four years to support bilingual marketing materials, travel and events for Hispanic/Latino student recruitment and retention.

“On behalf of the executive committee and the staff of The Goizueta Foundation, I extend our appreciation for Georgia Southern University’s vision, direction and programs,” said Olga C. de Goizueta, chairman of the executive committee of The Goizueta Foundation. “Through this partnership, we look forward to continued dialogue on the successes that Georgia Southern University encounters as it begins this new initiative.”

The grant comes at an ideal time, said Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel. “Georgia Southern is fortunate to have a very diverse student body. We believe that this adds to the education and experience that our students receive during their four years at Georgia Southern.”

The state’s Latino population has increased significantly in recent years – nearly doubling, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. One of the biggest challenges has been in providing the necessary financial resources to ensure these students have access to higher education, said Keel. “This grant enables Georgia Southern to provide outstanding Hispanic/Latino students with much-needed access to higher education. Ultimately, the education that these students receive will have a long-term benefit on our state and their communities.”

“We sincerely appreciate The Goizueta Foundation’s confidence in Georgia Southern,” said Keel. “Georgia Southern is uniquely positioned to become a leader in providing opportunities for Latino students to pursue their college degree and we are excited to be awarded this grant.”

The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund will provide more than just financial support to Georgia Southern students. Each entering Scholar will be paired with a Hispanic / Latino student and/or faculty mentor. They will be provided with a variety of social, personal, and academic support services. They will also have opportunities to tutor and support other Hispanic students in the local schools and at Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern has made a commitment to the success of The Goizueta Foundation Scholars and we will do all we can to help them achieve their goal of becoming teachers.

Candidates for the Goizueta Foundation Scholarships are Hispanic/Latino students whose families reside in the U.S. and who demonstrate financial need. Transfer students will be eligible and awards can be used for on-campus housing, meal plans, books and tuition and fees.

The University’s relationship with The Goizueta Foundation dates back more than a decade with the Foundation donating more than $2.7 million to the University.

During the winter of 2001-2002, The Goizueta Foundation of Atlanta generously endowed Georgia Southern University’s College of Education with funds to support a number of substantial, renewable, and prestigious scholarships for financially needy Hispanic/Latino undergraduates who want to become educators.

—David Thompson