Spring Break
Alumni look to start Latino scholarship
By: Emma Miller
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
Last update: 12/5/08 at 5:18 AM EST
Last update: 12/5/08 at 5:18 AM EST
After meeting its $300 million goal in endowment for financial aid last month, the University may soon have a new, more targeted source of endowment funding.
The Duke University Latino Alumni Association is currently developing a Latino Scholarship Fund to provide need-based scholarships to incoming Latino students. The Financial Aid Office would extract money from the endowment to provide aid to Latino students.
"The reality is that the Latino population is going to need leadership and Duke wants those leaders to be trained at Duke," said Christopher Brandt, Trinity '00 and a Latino alumnus helping to spearhead the association's efforts. "This is a powerful tool for the admissions office."
DULAA began the scholarship fund for Latino students in 2004 and has solicited donations from the growing body of Latino alumni since that time, Brandt said.
So far, the fund has received gifts from close to 98 contributors and has grown to about $125,000, said Julian Sanchez, director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs, who serves as an adviser to DULAA. The goal for 2009 will be to grow the fund to about $250,000.
The scholarship fund, however, is not yet large enough to begin administering aid to incoming Latino students. Peter Vaughn, executive director of alumni and development communications, said the fund needs to reach a level where it yields income before it can begin to be awarded on the basis of need by the Financial Aid Office.
"I think that the alums who are developing this would like to see growth in the future," Sanchez said. "As more Latinos graduate from Duke and establish themselves in the professions, I think there's good potential for this to grow."
Although the scholarship is still in its infancy, Brandt said DULAA has high hopes for its expansion.
"In an ideal world, our goal is to emulate the [Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship] program, though we're still in the womb, so to speak," he said.
The Duke University Latino Alumni Association is currently developing a Latino Scholarship Fund to provide need-based scholarships to incoming Latino students. The Financial Aid Office would extract money from the endowment to provide aid to Latino students.
"The reality is that the Latino population is going to need leadership and Duke wants those leaders to be trained at Duke," said Christopher Brandt, Trinity '00 and a Latino alumnus helping to spearhead the association's efforts. "This is a powerful tool for the admissions office."
DULAA began the scholarship fund for Latino students in 2004 and has solicited donations from the growing body of Latino alumni since that time, Brandt said.
So far, the fund has received gifts from close to 98 contributors and has grown to about $125,000, said Julian Sanchez, director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs, who serves as an adviser to DULAA. The goal for 2009 will be to grow the fund to about $250,000.
The scholarship fund, however, is not yet large enough to begin administering aid to incoming Latino students. Peter Vaughn, executive director of alumni and development communications, said the fund needs to reach a level where it yields income before it can begin to be awarded on the basis of need by the Financial Aid Office.
"I think that the alums who are developing this would like to see growth in the future," Sanchez said. "As more Latinos graduate from Duke and establish themselves in the professions, I think there's good potential for this to grow."
Although the scholarship is still in its infancy, Brandt said DULAA has high hopes for its expansion.
"In an ideal world, our goal is to emulate the [Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholarship] program, though we're still in the womb, so to speak," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 15
Fact check
posted 12/05/08 @ 8:32 AM EST
The Financial Aid Initiative was NOT successful in reaching its goal for need-based undergraduate aid. It did reach $300 million because some areas like athletic scholarships were oversubscribed. (Continued…)
James
posted 12/05/08 @ 10:20 AM EST
A "whites-only" scholarship -- can't have that; it's racist. But somehow a latinos-only scholarship is "enlightened." The PC hypocrisy is sickening.
Gary Packwood
posted 12/07/08 @ 3:02 PM EST
This is good news.
Is there sufficient capacity within Duke athletics for supporting soccer - Men and Women - and the fans who will fill the stadium(s)?
That includes Latino fans from surrounding communities. (Continued…)
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