CollegeWeekLive to Power Online College Admission Event as Part of Univision's Education Initiative !Educate, Es El Momento! On Thursday, October 11; Register at http://www.eselmomento.com

NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, Mass., Sept. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Univision Communications' multi-year initiative to promote educational attainment in Hispanic America, !Educate, Es El Momento! (Educate Yourself, The Moment is Now), the leading media company has partnered with CollegeWeekLive to offer a free online college fair on Thursday, October 11, 2012. The college admissions event, which will be available at http://www.eselmomento.com, is part of Univision's Education Week and will address the higher education needs of Hispanic students and their families.

The interactive program, which runs nationwide from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm ET, will provide free access to expert college admissions advice through streaming video presentations and live chat with college representatives. The online college fair addresses higher education topics of particular importance to Latino families -- both students and their parents, who may not have experience with the college application process and could be apprehensive about sending their children away to college.

"The goal is to create a culture of college readiness in the Hispanic community and focus specifically on what is necessary for college completion," said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks. "The addition of a free online college fair powered by CollegeWeekLive to Univision's Education Week will help students and parents to better understand what the process is to get into college, and what steps are needed to earn a degree."

Nationally, Latinos have a 14 percent lower college graduation rate than non-Hispanic whites, and Latinos lag behind other racial groups by 25 percent when comparing the number of degrees attained. Latinos make up 16 percent of the overall population and 22 percent of the K-12 population, yet only 19 percent of Latinos in America have earned an associate degree or higher compared to 38 percent of all adults, according to a research study conducted by EdExcelencia cited in USA TODAY. Because Latinos make up one sixth of the total population, Latino educational attainment is at the heart of the future economic viability of the United States.

"The growing population of Latino students represents an enormous opportunity for colleges and universities. Higher education best contributes to a thriving democratic society when we educate students from all walks of life, including students who are the first in their families to go to college," said Fernando M. Reimers, the Ford Foundation Professor of International Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Program Chair for the event. "I admire the leadership provided by CollegeWeekLive and Univision in producing this rich and comprehensive program to empower Latino students and families with knowledge that will help them chart a path to college."

Admissions representatives from more than 120 colleges will be standing by, ready to chat live online with students and their families in English and Spanish. Online video programming, with the ability for online attendees to get live answers to their questions via chat, includes:

THURSDAY OCTOBER 11, 2012 (All Times Eastern)

12 PM, The College Essay Zaragoza Guerra, College Coach

1 PM, Hidden Gems of Financial Aid Opportunities Stella Flores, Assistant Professor, Department of Leadership, Policy & Organizations, Vanderbilt University, Ed.M., Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education, M.P. Aff, University of Texas at Austin

Read more:
Univision Delivers Free Online College Fair With More Than 120 Participating Colleges