Latino U College Access

Name

Latino U College Access

Legal name

Latino U College Access

Website

https://lucany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Access Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO)

Keywords

• College access programs
• First-generation student support
• Financial aid advising
• Career readiness mentoring
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

White Plains

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: LUCA accepts one-time and recurring donations from individual donors, with donation amounts ranging from $50 to $500 or other custom amounts. Donations are tax-deductible as LUCA is a 501(c)(3) organization. The EIN is 46-1211-285.
2. Grants and Institutional Funding: LUCA receives transformational grants from foundations such as Impact100 Westchester, which funded the launch of the College Success Program in 2016.
3. Corporate Matching Gifts: Thousands of companies match employee donations to LUCA, multiplying the impact of individual contributions. LUCA promotes matching gift programs to maximize donor contributions.
4. Event-based Fundraising: LUCA hosts an annual Benefit Gala (14th Annual in 2026, 'Pathways to Brilliance') as a major fundraising event with ticket sales and sponsorships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Latino U College Access provides free, multi-year mentorship-driven programs that guide first-generation Latino and other first-generation high school students in Westchester County, NY through the college application, enrollment, financial aid, persistence, and post-college career readiness journey. Services are delivered through one-on-one trained volunteer college coaches, bilingual family programming, and structured support from junior year of high school through college graduation and career launch.

Product overview

Latino U College Access (LUCA) operates as a unified nonprofit college access and success organization, not a software platform. The core offering is the LUCA Scholars Program, which integrates one-on-one volunteer college coaching with structured workshops and family engagement. This is augmented by the College Success Program for persistence support through graduation, the Financial Affordability Program for aid navigation, and the Career Readiness Program for post-graduation preparation. Supporting services include the Ambassadors Program for student leadership, Community Information Sessions for bilingual outreach, and an Emergency Scholar Support Fund. Together these components form a six-year continuum from high school through career launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LUCA Scholars Program A multi-year college access program pairing first-generation high-achieving high school juniors and seniors with trained volunteer College Coaches, providing personalized guidance through the college application, financial aid, and enrollment process. Provided at no cost to eligible first-generation students in Westchester County, NY.
• College Success Program Structured persistence and graduation support for LUCA Scholars extending through college years, providing ongoing check-ins, individualized support plans, and mentoring through critical transition points until graduation and career launch.
• Financial Affordability Program Financial aid advising and family education service addressing affordability barriers through FAFSA, NYS TAP, and CSS Profile application assistance, award letter interpretation, scholarship guidance, and connection to the Emergency Scholar Support Fund.
• Career Readiness Program Career preparation and networking services for college Scholars including workshops, resume and interview preparation, professional pathway exposure, mentorship, and corporate partnerships supporting post-college success.
• Ambassadors Program Program empowering first-generation college students and alumni to lead with purpose, share their stories, and build meaningful connections while elevating awareness of the first-generation experience.
• Community Information Sessions Bilingual (English and Spanish) community information sessions covering applying to college, paying for college, and pathways to college for students and families across Westchester County, including 'Aplicando a la Universidad', 'Pagando por la Universidad', and 'Pasos a la Universidad'.
• Volunteer College Coach Services Mentorship service pairing trained volunteer college coaches with Scholars for weekly guidance from junior year through college decisions, supporting college exploration, applications, and personal statements.
• Emergency Scholar Support Fund Financial assistance fund providing emergency support to enrolled Scholars facing unexpected financial barriers during their college education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of LUCA Scholars remain on track to graduate or have graduated, vs. 26% nationally for first-generation college students (4-year degree completion)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercy UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Mercy University and Latino U College Access announced a partnership to support first-generation students in pursuing higher education, including structured outreach, support programs, and financial aid efforts. Cooperation aims to create pathways for talented students across Westchester County, emphasizing college access and success. Mercy University is represented on LUCA's Board by Joseph del Toro.
• Alexander Hamilton High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Alexander Hamilton High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County. The partnership enables LUCA to identify and serve first-generation students through counselor nominations and school-based programming.
• Fox Lane High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Fox Lane High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• New Rochelle High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with New Rochelle High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• Ossining High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Ossining High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• Peekskill High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Peekskill High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• Port Chester High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Port Chester High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• Sleepy Hollow High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with Sleepy Hollow High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• White Plains High SchoolcoreOthersLUCA partners with White Plains High School as one of 8 partner high schools across Westchester County.
• QuestBridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuestBridge National College Match partnership enables LUCA Scholars to earn full four-year scholarships to top colleges including Harvard, UPenn, Cornell, Boston University, and Vassar. LUCA coaches provide application support and guidance through the QuestBridge process, with multiple Class of 2025 Scholars matched to elite institutions.
• Regeneron ISEF (Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair)minorOthersLUCA Scholar Carlos D.A. from New Rochelle High School was named a finalist at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair, the largest pre-college STEM competition in the world, representing LUCA's impact on Scholar achievements.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• uAspire: Nonprofit specializing in college affordability advising and financial aid navigation for low-income and first-generation students, directly mirroring LUCA's Financial Affordability Program focus on FAFSA/TAP/CSS Profile support.
• College Forward: Nonprofit providing college access and persistence coaching to first-generation and low-income students, with similar focus on near-peer mentors and outcomes-driven service delivery.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit focused on college access and degree completion for first-generation students from low-income backgrounds, offering 1:1 advising through college graduation. Highly comparable mission, target population, and persistence-support model.
• OneGoal: College access and persistence program for high school students from low-income backgrounds, operating in multiple cities with a cohort-based mentoring model paralleling LUCA's six-year continuum.
• ScholarMatch: Nonprofit pairing first-generation students with mentors for college application, financial aid, and persistence support. Operates a near-identical virtual-volunteer coaching model as LUCA.
• Matriculate: Virtual college access program pairing first-generation high schoolers with college student mentors for application and admissions support—comparable peer-mentorship delivery mechanism to LUCA's volunteer coaches.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing college access and success coaching for low-income and first-generation students via near-peer coaches. Operates a near-identical model to LUCA's volunteer-coach approach but across multiple states, making it the closest direct comparand.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Largest Hispanic-targeted education nonprofit providing scholarships, college readiness resources, and career support to Latino students nationally—overlapping with LUCA's target demographic but operating at broader scale and a wider service portfolio.
• College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as full-time college advisors in underserved high schools; comparable mission of expanding college access but with a paid-corps model rather than LUCA's volunteer approach.

Emerging players

• The Opportunity Network: NYC-based nonprofit serving low-income students through college access, career exposure, and professional networks—comparable in serving first-gen and low-income youth with a multi-year continuum, though operating primarily in NYC rather than Westchester.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@latinoucollegeaccess3972
• Facebookfacebook.com/lucanyorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lucanyorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/lucanyorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Latino U College Access