New For-Profit Higher Education Company Will Target African-American Students

African Americans make up a larger percentage of students enrolled at for-profit institutions of higher education than is the case at not-for-profit institutions. For example, African Americans make up 30 percent of the more than 400,000 students enrolled at the 200 University of Phoenix campuses nationwide.

Now there is a new for-profit higher education enterprise that will be geared specifically to African-American students. Latimer Education will tailor its curriculum to appeal to black students, but students of all races will be eligible to enroll. The company is based in Washington, D.C., but it is expected that most of the courses will be offered online. The company’s mission statement declares that its goal is “to improve educational outcomes and expand career opportunities for African-American students by utilizing world-class, on-line instructional tools delivered by professionals dedicated to student achievement.”

Latimer Education is led by Scott R. Royster, the former chief financial officer of the Radio One network.

The new venture is being financed in part by a cash infusion from Maveron LLC, a leading venture capital firm.

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