In an effort to improve the educational opportunities of minority students who are underrepresented in some postsecondary programs, national organizations are partnering with academic institutions to launch financial aid initiatives designed for these individuals.
For instance, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) has announced that 12 new schools have joined its University Partnership Program (UPP). Since its inception four years ago, a total of 54 business schools across the country have worked towards meeting the program's qualifications.
The NSHMBA launched this initiative to provide financial assistance to young Hispanic people working towards obtaining bachelors and masters degrees in business. Last year, more than $680,000 in scholarships was awarded to business students of Hispanic descent.
Steve Ramos, interim CEO of the society, stated that "realizing the role universities play, we became very aggressive with our efforts to recruit more universities and position NSHMBA where it needs to be in order to secure better financial support for qualified talent."
Depending on their field, position and years of experience, MBA degree holders earned annual salaries ranging from $73,510 to $171,583 in 2008, according to PayScale.com, a research company.
