Romero U. opens college doors for rural poor - catholic Romero University in El Salvador

National Catholic Reporter, Dec 19, 1997 by Paul Jeffrey

Here in the mountains of northern El Salvador, students at Romero University come not from the urban upper and middle classes, but from poor and middle-class families with roots in rural life.

With classes on Saturday and Sunday, Romero University students can keep regular jobs and still get a university degree. This policy makes higher education more accessible to women, especially single mothers.

Agronomy student Wendy Carranza said the school offers women "a different paradigm than that in many other schools."

Carranza says the school has already developed a reputation for being tough. "Just because you're the son of someone important doesn't help you here," she said. "It's a university where, God willing, you'll graduate because you've learned something."