By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-905175.mp3
Dallas, TX – Millions of dollars in local scholarship money will be handed out soon to north Texas high schoolers. Young Hispanics are targeted: They continue to be under-represented in colleges. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.
The Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has offered scholarships to students for nearly 3 decades years. This year, the organization is awarding nearly 2 million dollars to fund promising students now in college or those who'll be starting their Freshman year. Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says the funds can foster a future by helping students believe in themselves.
Hinojosa: And that's all they need. And they can finish that from there and these scholarships help change the lives of these people
The Hispanic Chamber holds a scholarship fundraiser later this month. Education is Freedom and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert also handed out scholarship dollars as well on Tuesday. Hispanics are often targeted for higher education in Texas, because they remain under-represented in colleges and universities. Statistics show Hispanics had the largest public school growth this decade among major ethnic groups. But they still trail all groups in meeting statewide college enrollment goals.