SALT LAKE CITY
State higher education officials are asking lawmakers for more than $10 million to help boost minority enrollment at the state’s public colleges and universities.
Minorities make up about 17 percent of the state’s population, but only represent about 8 percent of the student population at public post-secondary schools.
“We want to create an expectation in this state … that students need to graduate with a progression of study that prepares them for post-secondary education. We just don’t believe that expectation is there right now,” said David Doty, assistant commissioner for planning and policy for the Utah System of Higher Education.
Lawmakers and education officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of minorities pursuing college degrees as the state’s work force becomes more diverse.
The plan the USHE pitched to lawmakers on Thursday contains five parts providing academic support to minorities once they arrive on campus; doing a better job preparing students through 12th grade for college; increasing financial aid; establishing a mentoring program; and developing a public relations campaign.
“One of the strong criticisms higher education institutions are getting is the lack of minority participation,” said Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville. “This would go a long way toward helping that. The better we get at communicating … those things available for those students, I think the more students are going to be involved.”
