According to a recent study from the U.S. Department of Education, only 19 percent of minorities make-up the undergraduate population in the United States.

Sources of the poll say inadequate academic preparation is a key factor in lack of enrollment.

However, the Pre-College Enrichment Program (PEP) at the University is trying to change that.

The program’s mission is to keep underrepresented students on a college-bound track.

The University’s Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives created the program in 1998 with the purpose of exposing Hispanic, African-American and Native-American high school students to the University environment.

“It is a six-week college prep program,” Sheila Brown, Director of the Pre-College Enrichment Program, said. “We recruit 24 African Americans, Latinos and Native American high school-age-students to give them exposure to the college experience and to primarily encourage and motivate them to go to college.”

Students spend six weeks focusing on academics, campus orientation, classroom experience and cultural enrichment activities. Each student also attends an ACT preparation workshop and participates in seminars on financial aid, the admissions process and other topics of interest and relevance.

“After the program they have one year to go back to their high school and think about all the things they need to do to become a success and put all of those lessons and workshops into action,” Brown said.

The only requirement of the program is that students must be a rising junior or senior and have at least a 2.5 grade point average in college preparatory curriculum.

“We don’t have any other stipulations in terms of if they participate in the program they have to go to BGSU,” Brown said. “However, 50 percent of the students usually do choose to come here.”

Brown says one of the main reasons students return to the University is the scholarship incentives the program offers to participants.

“Let’s say that even if someone is just shy of the GPA the University requires for some of their scholarships, we will still reward them a tuition waiver and if they are out- of- state they will get their out -of- state fees waived,” Brown said. “So, at the bare minimum they will get something. We try to keep them motivated and encouraged by dangling the carrot of some financial incentives.”

Scholarships are not the only awards the program offers to the students.

On July 25 the program will hold its Fond Farewell Awards. The program’s top students will be recognized by instructors and given certificates and cash prizes for their work.

“One of the main reasons we give cash prizes is because we always take a trip at the end of the program that maybe lasts three or four days, depending on where we are going,” Brown said. “We have been to places like New York, Chicago and Orlando.”

This year the students are going on a cruise to the Bahamas.

The program may be unable to continue this trip after next year because of finances. Money is running low due to state budget cuts.

The PEP is funded partly through the University budget and through the Success Challenge grant program, which is a state funded grant.