La Salle’s Bilingual Undergraduate Studies for Collegiate Advancement (BUSCA) Program was named one of the country’s Bright Spots in Hispanic Education by The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

“There has been notable progress in Hispanic educational achievement, and it is due to the efforts of these Bright Spots in Hispanic Education—programs and organizations working throughout the country to help Hispanic students reach their full potential,” said Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the Initiative. La Salle’s was the only higher education program from Pennsylvania included on the list of more than 230 programs that have been recognized for investing in key priorities for Hispanics.

Established in 1993 to provide a college education for Spanish speakers in the Philadelphia region, BUSCA has evolved into a five-semester associate’s degree program designed to help Spanish-dominant students learn the necessary cognitive and language skills to succeed in mainstream classes. “Our faculty and staff have high expectations, but work extremely hard to make sure our students receive the extra attention and services that first-generation and English-language learners need to be successful,” said Joanne Woods, Director of the BUSCA Program.

As a result of the academic rigor and personal attention from the University, the BUSCA Program graduation rate has consistently been above 52 percent, which is double the national average for Latinos earning associate’s degrees at other private universities and triple the graduation rate for Latinos attending community colleges.