ACT and Univision Contigo Partner Together to Increase College Access for Hispanic Students

IOWA CITY, Iowa—In cities across the country, from Los Angeles to New York, thousands of Hispanic students and their families seeking advice and information about applying to and affording college have flocked to a series of free bilingual Parent Academies. The academies are hosted by ACT, the nation’s leader in college and career readiness, and Univision Contigo, the community empowerment platform of Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanics.

The academies provide resources, workshops and interactive games uniquely tailored to guide Hispanic parents to help their children prepare for future academic and career success. ACT college experts answer questions about financial aid and college planning and offer tutorials on how to use ACT Profile, ACT’s free online college and career planning community, which is designed to help students match their personal, academic and career interests with potential programs of study and colleges.

Across the nation, one of every four public school students is Hispanic, and those numbers are expected to increase in the coming years. In higher education, Hispanic students represent 16 percent of college undergraduates, and their enrollment is expected to increase to 27 percent by 2022. In fact, 83 percent of Hispanic 2014 high school graduates who took the ACT® test planned to enroll in college, making resources like the Parent Academies more important than ever.

“Seeing Hispanic families turn out in droves for these events really drives home the demand and the need they have for more information about planning and preparing for college,” said Juan Garcia, ACT’s associate vice president of underserved learners. “Partnering with Univision Contigo gives us a valuable and impactful way to reach out to the Hispanic community with proven tools to help guide their future paths.”

The Parent Academies are part of Univision Contigo’s education initiative, which provides year-round resources, tools and programs to help Hispanic families be more engaged in their children’s education, from early childhood development to college readiness and beyond. The award-winning effort is the nation’s longest-running multi-media education campaign on the air today.

“The success of Hispanic youth is not only critical to the growth of the Hispanic community but also the nation as a whole,” said Ivelisse Estrada, senior vice president, Corporate Relations & Community Empowerment at Univision Communications, Inc. “Partnering with ACT has allowed us to expand the resources and tools we’re able to provide to Hispanic parents to help their children achieve the success they are striving for.”

Attendance at the first 10 academies in October and November exceeded expectations, with more than 6,000 students and their families attending in major cities in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Arizona. Future academies will be offered in the following cities on the dates listed below, with more to be added:

The academies are part of a continuing effort by both ACT and Univision to increase achievement and success among Hispanic students by raising awareness about the necessary steps and preparation required to reach their educational and career goals.