Chicago, IL,–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–September 25, 2003–Luis Rossi, Vice Chairman of the National Hispanic Press Foundation and former publisher of La Raza; Zeke Montes, Board Member of the National Hispanic Press Foundation and publisher of TeleGuía de Chicago, and Ray Gonzalez, Vice President of Diversity, Exelon Corporation will be on hand at the 21st Annual US Hispanic Leadership Institute Convention distributing copies of the 2004 Hispanic Scholarship Directory as part of a national effort to make higher education a reality for Latino youth. Exelon Corporation, as part of the national effort, will distribute 1,000 copies of the Directory in the Chicago area. The kick off event will take place in the Exhibition Hall, Booth 320 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive, at 2:30 pm.

This year the directory will be in its 6th edition, along with an all-new CD-ROM version that was developed with the sponsorship of the National Education Association. The Directory itself contains over 1,000 funding sources including 758 new or updated listings. With over 250 pages of listings, an introduction by noted actor and Activist Edward James Olmos, and an extremely informative financial aid calendar, the Directory is an instrumental tool in enabling Hispanic youth realize their dream of a higher education.

“With a high school drop out rate of 50% for Hispanics, we need to open up greater opportunities to move up. As publishers, our Hispanic Scholarship Directory helps families and aspiring students find the resources and plan for a better future,” said Zeke Montes, Foundation Board Member and Immediate Past President of the National Association of Hispanic Publications [NAHP].

According to the Census Bureau, 10% of all students enrolled in college are of Hispanic origin. While only 6% actually graduate with a four year degree. These numbers are still below the national demographic that show that Hispanics comprise 12.5% of the total US population. Because of the rising cost of education, the largest concentration of Hispanics in higher education is in community colleges and other two-year institutions. The National Center for Educational Statistics reports that 9% of all associate degree recipients are Hispanic.

The National Hispanic Press Foundation and NAHP, along with sponsors Exelon Corporation, DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, National Education Association, Southern California Edison, US Navy, American Association of Community Colleges, The American Dietetic Association, MGM-Grand, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and the publisher, WPR Publishing, enthusiastically support the development of more effective educational resources for Hispanic youth to attend college.

For more information about the Directory, or the National Hispanic Press Foundation, please call the national office at (202) 662-7250, or log onto the web at http://www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org.

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Contact:

Joseph Carrillo

(202) 662-7250