UIC Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES)

What UIC Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) does

UIC Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) is a 50-year-old student success program embedded within the University of Illinois Chicago, established in 1975 to recruit Latino students and provide academic support across their UIC journey. LARES operates as a comprehensive, bilingual (English/Spanish) support unit serving prospective, undergraduate, transfer, and graduate Latino students, including undocumented and DACA students. Core services include major-specific academic advising (7 advisors covering all UIC colleges), free PhD-level tutoring in Chemistry and Math, supplemental Academic Skills Program (ASP) workshops in research poster creation and math, leadership development programs (Summer Institute, Leaders Academy, SEEDS Career Initiative, Latina Leadership Institute, Project HOMBRES), peer mentorship through the national CREAR Futuros network, and seven named scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. The program is also distinguished by signature annual events (Family Day, Recognition Dinner for Latino Graduates, LARES Summit) and a 35-year tradition of celebrating Latino graduation milestones.

LARES runs on standard institutional technology infrastructure, not proprietary software: scheduling and advising operate through UIC's iAdvise/Starfish student success platform and the my.uic portal; scholarship applications flow through the UIC SnAP academicworks.com platform; job postings via Handshake; and virtual appointments via Zoom and Google Forms. The program tracks and publishes longitudinal outcomes data (notably 97% SROP alumni continuation/completion and 90+ student research posters presented at academic conferences) and curates a Latino Data resource page drawing on partnerships with Excelencia in Education, HACU, ILACHE, Pew Research, and the Latino Policy Forum.

From a business model perspective, LARES is not a commercial entity; it is a non-revenue-generating departmental program funded through the University of Illinois Chicago's institutional budget, with supplemental funding from donor contributions to the University of Illinois Foundation (LARES Support Fund and designated scholarship funds). All services are free to students, scholarships are non-repayable aid, and donations are tax-deductible. Revenue mechanics are therefore institutional allocation and philanthropic fundraising rather than commercial pricing. The customer base is internal: UIC's Latino student population, with secondary engagement of families, feeder high schools, community colleges, and 20+ UIC Latino student organizations that function as referral and community distribution channels.

Name

UIC Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES)

Legal name

Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) - University of Illinois Chicago

Website

https://lares.uic.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UIC LARES is a 50-year-old bilingual student success program at the University of Illinois Chicago that recruits, advises, tutors, and provides scholarships and leadership development to Latino students, including undocumented and DACA students, funded through institutional budget and donor contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Student Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult Learner Support Services (Advising, Case Management, Wraparound Supports) (EDAAABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Academic advising
• Student support services
• Tutoring services
• Scholarship administration
• Higher education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: LARES is a program of the University of Illinois Chicago, funded through the university's institutional budget as a premier academic success unit. Funding supports staff salaries, programs, scholarships, and operational costs.
2. Donor Contributions: LARES accepts donations through the University of Illinois Foundation to the LARES Support Fund and designated scholarship funds. Donors include alumni (e.g., Saide Flores, Public Policy CUPPA alumna) and community supporters. Donations can be made online via the University of Illinois Foundation portal or by check mailed to the University of Illinois Foundation.
3. Scholarship Funding Disbursement: LARES administers multiple scholarship programs (First Year Scholar Award $1,000, Transfer Scholar Award, Graduate Scholar Award $2,000, Tuition Award, Alumni Award, HACE Olga Camargo up to $2,500, 'Sí Se Puede' Corazón de León Scholarship) funded through institutional and donor sources, disbursed directly to students for tuition, fees, and educational expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LARES is a comprehensive student success and support program at the University of Illinois Chicago that delivers free academic advising, professional tutoring in Chemistry and Math, supplemental instruction (ASP courses), leadership development programs, peer mentorship, and scholarship administration to Latino students from recruitment through graduation. The program combines instructional services, structured cohort-based programs, and merit/need-based financial awards to recruit, retain, and graduate Latino students at UIC.

Product overview

LARES (Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services) is a comprehensive student success program at the University of Illinois Chicago that functions as a unified support ecosystem for Latino students. The program combines academic support services (advising, tutoring, ASP math and English courses) with structured leadership programs (Summer Institute, Leaders Academy, SEEDS Career Initiative, Latina Leadership Institute, Project HOMBRES), mentorship (CREAR Futuros), and financial support (seven named scholarships including First Year Scholar Award, Transfer Scholar Award, Tuition Award, Graduate Scholar Award, Alumni Scholarship, 'Sí Se Puede' Corazón de León Scholarship, and HACE Olga Camargo Scholarship). Additional services include career development resources (internships, fellowships, sponsorship, job opportunities), admission support (orientation, family day, transfer connect), and specialized support for undocumented students. The program has operated since 1975 and serves as UIC's primary mechanism for recruiting and retaining Latino students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LARES Summer Institute: A free, one-week program for incoming UIC students focused on leadership development and becoming agents of change for the Latino community.
• LARES Leaders Academy
• LARES SEEDS Career Initiative
• LARES Latina Leadership Institute
• LARES Project HOMBRES
• CREAR Futuros Mentorship
• Academic Skills Program (ASP)

Products and services

• Academic Advising

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of SROP alumni continue their studies or have earned a BA/BS degree; 47% pursuing or have completed a graduate degree; 21.2% pursuing or have completed a professional degree.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• IPCE (Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement) and AAAN (African American Academic Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022LARES partners with IPCE and AAAN to co-administer the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF), a leadership development program exposing historically underrepresented minority undergraduate students to public policy issues. Each Fellow is paired with a partner organization for internship experience and conducts a public policy research project presented at an annual conference.
• Hispanic FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREAR Futuros (College Readiness, Achievement, and Retention) is a national peer mentorship initiative powered by the Hispanic Federation. UIC LARES is a proud partner, connecting first- and second-year students with experienced student leaders and providing access to a national network of CREAR Futuros institutions.
• ILACHE (Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES is a member and active participant in ILACHE, a statewide organization dedicated to advancing the status of Latinos through education. LARES sponsors student attendance at the annual ILACHE conference and collaborates on statewide advocacy for Latino higher education. UIC LARES also serves on the ILACHE board.
• ALPFA-UIC (Association for Latinos Professionals of America)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerALPFA at UIC is a student organization focused on professional development and networking. LARES sponsors UIC students to attend ALPFA events and professional conferences, expanding career networks for Latino students.
• SHPE-UIC (Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSHPE at UIC is a student organization for Hispanic STEM students and professionals. LARES sponsors students to attend the SHPE National Convention, the country's largest gathering of Hispanic STEM students and professionals.
• New Life CentersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES Leaders partnered with New Life Centers to support Chicago's new arrivals through community service activities, demonstrating the program's commitment to civic engagement and community support.
• University of Illinois FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe University of Illinois Foundation processes all donations to the LARES Support Fund and designated scholarship funds. Donors are redirected from the LARES website to the Foundation's secure online giving portal.
• Latino Policy ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES features the Latino Policy Forum as a resource on its Latino Data page, providing students with access to research on Education, Housing, Immigration, and Leadership policy issues affecting the Latino community.
• Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES features IBHE as a resource on its Latino Data page, providing links to Illinois college and university data and reports, including the Hispanic Employment Plan for Public Universities Report.
• Excelencia in EducationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES features Excelencia in Education as a resource on its Latino Data page, providing students with access to research and policy resources focused on Latino higher education outcomes.
• HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES features HACU as a resource on its Latino Data page, providing HSI research and data to inform Latino student success strategies.
• Pew Research CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLARES features Pew Research Center as a resource on its Latino Data page, providing students with access to data, facts, and trends about the Latino community.
• Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLARES coordinates programming with the Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center to foster student retention by providing an educational and social environment that preserves and promotes the Latino cultural heritage at UIC.
• UIC Graduate College (SROP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLARES refers students to UIC's Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), first established in 1986 by the CIC Graduate Deans. SROP provides underrepresented sophomores and juniors with faculty-mentored research experiences. UIC launched SROP in 1986 with six minority students and has had over 1,000 participants since.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bottom Line: Direct college success coaching for first-generation and underrepresented students from high school through graduation. Closely comparable to LARES's advising-plus-transition-plus-retention model and degree-completion orientation.
• College Success Foundation: Provides scholarships and college access/success services to low-income and underrepresented students. Comparable advising-plus-scholarship portfolio targeting the same transition and retention outcomes LARES addresses.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Largest national non-profit dedicated to Latino higher education, providing scholarships, college readiness programs, and wraparound support services. Operates the same advising-plus-scholarship-plus-mentorship model LARES uses, but at a national, non-university scale.
• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing underrepresented students with adult mentors for long-term college persistence. Directly comparable to LARES's CREAR Futuros and project HOMBRES peer/mentorship programming for student retention.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): National industry association representing HSIs. Comparable institutional infrastructure supporting the same population LARES serves, with a broader advocacy, capacity-building, and federal-policy remit across member institutions.
• Hispanic Federation: LARES's direct national partner via CREAR Futuros; a broader Hispanic human-services and education umbrella. Has wider remit (health, immigration, civic engagement) but explicitly funds and powers LARES-adjacent peer mentorship.

Others

• Excelencia in Education: Research and policy organization that awards the Seal of Excelencia held by UIC. Shares LARES's mission of advancing Latino higher education but operates as research/advocacy/policy infrastructure rather than direct service delivery.
• UNCF: Largest national organization providing scholarships and college success support for Black students — structurally analogous to HSF/Hispanic Federation for a different demographic. Serves as a thematic peer for wraparound college-success service models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXgbqBW6JrvRv__53t-h5rQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/lares.uic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uiclares
• Instagraminstagram.com/uicLares1975

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 UIC Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES)