Memphis, TN : Talent Dividend News

Memphis is one of 13 communities across the nation that is receiving support from the Lumina Foundation and Excelencia in Education to improve college completion rates among Latino students.

Why Memphis? Why Latino students?

"Your prosperity depends in large part on the prosperity of your Latino population," says Margarita Benitez of the Lumina Foundation in this video from WREG Memphis. Check it out here and learn more about Lumina and Excelencia's Latino success initiatives here.

Tennessee was once second-to-last in college achievement in the United States. But the state has been slowly moving the needle. This year, 26.5% of Tennesseans hold a college degree, a 2.8 percent increase in five years. And Memphis has seen a 1.4 percentage point increase in college grads since kicking off its Talent Dividend efforts in 2010.

In 2013, Memphis will focus on increasing the percentage of high school seniors who complete a FAFSA. Last year, 53% of Shelby County's high school seniors completed one, beating the national average of 48%. This year, the goal is 67%. 

Read more about Memphis Talent Dividend's success here.