SAGINAW, MI — Latino students at Saginaw Valley State University have achieved parity in two key aspects of higher education, a top official reported Jan. 9 to members of LLEAD, Latino Leaders for Equity, Advocacy and Development.
The graduation rate of 57 percent has reached the identical ratio as the student body as a whole, said Ken Fettig, vice-president for enrollment management. A decade ago, those numbers were 47 percent for all pupils but only 34 percent for Latinos.
For at least finishing the freshman year, the score similarly is tied at 77 percent retention. As recently as three years ago, the count was 72 percent overall, with Latinos lagging at 61 percent.
Progress remains at the top of the agenda for both enrollment and achievement, with support from community groups like LLEAD, Fettig said. Of SVSU’s 7,000 students, rounded off, 6 percent are Hispanic, up only slightly from 5.7 percent way back at the turn of the millennium. (The Black share is 11.5 percent, up from 9 over the same time span.)
For higher-ed admissions, he told a record-high LLEAD audience of more than 60 patrons:
For admissions, Saginaw Valley State has joined the movement away from SAT and ACT standardized test scores, in favor of high school GPA, grade-point. A 2.75 or above guarantees acceptance, with anything between 2.0 and 2.75 subject to review.
For scholarships, a higher GPA not only means a better chance, but a higher dollar amount. In this regard a 3.9 is better than a 3.6 is better than a 3.2.
With a minimum GPA of 3.5, high school grads from Saginaw United, SASA, Bridgeport and Carrollton are eligible to compete for a full-tuition four-year scholarship. Students who opt to live on campus receive a $1,500 credit toward housing costs. Grads from city schools also may seek aid through Saginaw Promise.
Individual support and tutoring continue to improve. Of the top 12 majors, “undecided” is second only to nursing at SVSU. It’s good to keep options open, but this is the time for young people to begin making decisions from among more than 100 undergraduate programs in the general areas of arts and behavioral sciences, education, health and human services, STEM and business
Saginaw LLEAD, part of a statewide network, has done everything from organizing children’s book giveaways to helping teens visit college campuses. A December fund-raiser from sales at T & T’s Restaurant near the Court Theater will help sponsor a delegation to Chicago for the annual four-day February conference of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute.
LLEAD meets at 6 p.m. on the second monthly Thursday at the downtown Delta College facility. The next session is Feb. 13. To volunteer on a variety of action groups, visit their web site.
The online starting point for enrollment and financial aid is svsu.edu/saginawproud.
(Note: Ken Fettig is the nephew of Burt Fettig (1935 to 2016), longtime Delta dean of students.)
