Impact  Defying the Odds

Impact in Action

Nationally, only 26% of first-generation college students earn a four-year degree. At LUCA, 99% of Scholars remain on track to graduate or have graduated. Providing access to higher education is critical among low-income youth. College graduates have greater career opportunities and earn substantially more over their lifetimes. But, the benefits of higher education go beyond economic gains. Education can change everything!

551

Scholars

4797

Community Information Sessions
Students & Families Served

3519

Financial Aid Support
Students & Families Served

Who We Serve

LUCA proudly partners with 8 Partner High Schools across Westchester County

 

  • Alexander Hamilton High School
  • Fox Lane High School
  • New Rochelle High School
  • Ossining High School
  • Peekskill High School
  • Port Chester High School
  • Sleepy Hollow High School
  • White Plains High School

Serving Our Scholars & Community

We partner with school districts that have students with demographic and financial need (approx. 50% or more) across Westchester County, New York. With the support of dedicated volunteers, we deliver culturally-relevant college access, college success, and financial aid programs in multi-language settings.

99% Remain on Track to Graduate
95% Enrolled in 4-Year Universities
68% Enrolled in Private 4-Year Universities
100% Received Financial Assistance

College Success & Workforce Development

The need for a diverse, well-educated workforce grows increasingly urgent.

We guide Scholars every step of the way as they navigate college and transition into thriving careers. Our ongoing support focuses on college success, career readiness, and financial literacy. This empowers Scholars to break the cycle of poverty for their families and communities, but also has significant benefits in the workforce.

Companies with ethnically diverse teams are:

  • 36% more likely to financially outperform their peers
  • 87% better at making decisions compared to homogenous teams
  • 70% more likely to capture new markets
  • 19% increase in revenue produced by management teams
51%
of Scholars are attending “most selective” or “very selective” universities versus 16% nationally.
68%
of Scholars are pursuing STEM degrees versus 12% nationally.
66%
of all jobs in America will require a Bachelors Degree by 2031
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Meet Our Familia

At LUCA, we are one big Familia. When Scholars cry reading acceptance letters from their dream schools, those tears of joy are not only in celebration of a milestone moment; they symbolize the fulfillment of a family’s dream. That all of the sacrifices, extra shifts, and late nights were worth it.

Karen Volunteer College Coach “I wish more people understood the grit and determination shown by LUCA Scholars; they push themselves so hard to overcome every obstacle. As for the families, I find the intensity of love and pride they have for their children to be simply incredible.”
Franklin New York University ’24 “Knowing who I am and where I come from motivates me. I am the first in my family to graduate from high school and will be the first to graduate college. Everyone that comes after me will have it easier, and I love that.”
Maria & Uriel Scholar Parents “Our daughter’s dreams are coming true! When she was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania, we all cried tears of joy for many days. This has changed her life and ours. As a family, we will never be the same again.”
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Scholar Matriculation List

Our Scholars are achieving their dreams at some of the top colleges and universities nationwide!

Adelphi University
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Babson College
Barnard College
Bates College
Bentley University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brigham Young University
Brown University
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
University of Chicago
Clark University
Clarkson University
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Columbia University
Concordia College
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
CUNY Baruch
CUNY The City College
CUNY Hunter
CUNY John Jay
CUNY Lehman
Dartmouth College
University of Delaware
Dickinson College
Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern University
Elmira University
Elon University
Embry Riddle University

Emerson College
Emory University
Fairfield University
Florida Atlantic University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
Georgetown University
George Washington University
University of Hartford
Hartwick College
Harvard University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Iona University
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Manhattan University
Manhattanville University
Marist College
University of Maryland
Marywood University
Mercy University
Middlebury College
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
Nazareth College
University of New Haven
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Pace University
Penn State University
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rice University
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology
Sacred Heart University
Saint John’s University
Saint Lawrence University
Savannah College of Art & Design
Scranton University
Siena College
Skimore College
Stanford University
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oneonta
SUNY Polytech
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY Westchester
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Union College
University of Southern California
Vassar College
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Villanova University
University of Virginia
Wesleyan University
Yale University