Mission and Vision

Mission

To develop the next generation of Hispanic professionals.

We accomplish our mission by providing Hispanic high school and college students with the vision, resources, and mentorship needed to become community leaders and achieve successful careers in business, science, technology, engineering and math.

Objectives:

Hispanic high school students are the largest ethnic minority in public schools* and have the highest high school and college dropout rates.* In light of this, the Hispanic College Fund:

  • Identifies specific barriers to Hispanic educational achievement and addresses those barriers with targeted programs;
  • Creates a network of academic and career support that ensures Hispanic students graduate from high school, matriculate through college, and transition into a successful career;
  • Addresses the needs of a rapidly-aging U.S. workforce by promoting academic and professional careers for Hispanics in business, science, technology, engineering, and math; and
  • Creates a pipeline of college-educated Hispanic students who become engaged community leaders.

*according to the Pew Hispanic Center and U.S. Census Bureau, respectively

Vision

The next generation of leaders in the United States will reflect the diversity of the country's population; this includes a substantial presence of talented, Hispanic professionals.

History

Seeking financial support to attend college, a young man wrote a moving letter to the editor of Hispanic Business Magazine in which he expressed his disappointment in not finding support from the business executives featured in the magazine. This letter brought attention to the need for a scholarship organization to address the specific barriers facing Hispanic youth in the United States. In 1993, a small group of Hispanic businessmen founded the nonprofit in light of this need.

Since then, the Hispanic College Fund has awarded $13 million in scholarships to more than 4,800 Hispanic youth and has expanded its programs to include the Hispanic Youth Symposium, a program that inspires Hispanic high school students to attend college; HCF Connections, an online, career-centered network for Hispanic youth; HYP – Hispanic Young Professionals, a leadership development program; and LOFT – Latinos on Fast Track, a professional internship and placement program. These programs help connect successful Hispanic professionals and corporate sponsors to Hispanic College Fund scholars in order to equip students with the vision and resources needed to succeed.