$125k Raised In One Night For Latino College Students

USA - English

• Latin America - español

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At these times when the costs of attending college are outpacing financial support from public and private sectors, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation's largest Hispanic college scholarship awarding organization, raised a record $125,000 and awarded students during its annual Alumni Hall of Fame gala.

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"The nature of fundraising through social media allowed us to more than double the pledges over prior years," said Frank D. Alvarez, HSF's President & CEO, "and awarded--in real time--more than one hundred additional Latino college scholarships to deserving students across the nation."

"The best part of the evening was that our donors could sense the impact of their gift.  The room was electric," said Alvarez. 

Thanks to corporate donors, Wells Fargo, Google, Anheuser Busch and the Meruelo Group,   sponsors like Macys, Fox Deportes, and La Raza Pizza, and the more than 400 individuals attending the dinner or watching via video streaming pledged.  "This demonstrates the power of connecting donors to deserving students and together supporting the placement of a college degree in every Latino household in America."

HSF provided college scholarships to over 4,000 students for the current 2012-2013 academic year, but for each one who received a scholarship, four did not for lack of funds. Attendees at HSF's Alumni Hall of Fame rose to the challenge and pledged $125,000 in new scholarship dollars using Text-to-Pledge technology, funding an additional 100 college scholarship applicants watching the event live via online streaming.

Joselyn Espinoza, one of the scholarship recipients, texted "Thank you for this scholarship! …This year has been hard for my family, and without this, it would have been very difficult to pay for college."

"You encourage me to stay in school and attempt to improve not only the chance to be recognized by you but to better myself," texted Mario Sanchez, another recipient.

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund believes that the country prospers when all Americans have access to the opportunities a college education can afford.  As the nation's leading Hispanic higher education fund, HSF works to address the barriers that keep many Latinos from earning a college degree. To date, HSF has awarded over $360 million in scholarships and has supported a broad range of outreach and education programs to help students and their families navigate collegiate life, from gaining admission and securing financial aid to finding employment after graduation.  HSF has created Generation 1^st Degree, a program that envisions a future where every Latino household will have at least one college graduate, creating an enduring impact on the college outlook of Latino families nationwide, and strengthening the American economy for generations to come. For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund please visit: www.HSF.net.

SOURCE Hispanic Scholarship Fund