In a 2009 study, it was found that 89% of Latinos, 16-25 years, saw college as a vital step towards success. Ironically, only 48% said they planned on attending college. According to data from the Census Bureau, 33% of Latinos ages 18-24 are actually enrolled in school compared with 42% of all young adults ages 18 – 24.

The 2009 National Survey of Latinos released by the Pew Hispanic Center reported possible reasons for this gap between aspirations and actual enrollment & graduation, which included:
1. Students’ desires/need to help financially support their family
2. Lack of direction and mentorship
3. Language barriers
How exactly does financial responsibility and lack of mentorship affect the ability of Hispanic students to attend college?

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE FAMILY
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of all 16 to 25-year-olds who cut their education short during or right after high school say they did so because they had to support their family. Most families work as a team, i.e. all family members contribute to the well being of the family. Parents will work to make money and provide food and shelter, while children attend school and make good grades to favorably represent the family.

On the other hand, some Hispanic families will rely on each other to be financially stable. This puts great responsibility and obligation on teenagers when faced with questions such as, “Will I go to college?” “Where will I go to college?” “Dad doesn’t want me to go to college; can I pay for college on my own?”

The answers to these questions are irrelevant, with at least the emotional support of the parents or someone, anyone (!), attending college seem a lot more realistic. Some parents place so much emphasis on basic necessities and being financially stable (TODAY), it is very unlikely that [most] Hispanic students will get the support they need, financially or emotionally.

An Opportunity for Discussion:
Students that successfully applied and enrolled in college now face the need to work and may not have a vehicle.  This could be challenging, time consuming, stressful and may end in bad grades, among other problems. Any thoughts on this predicament?

THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND QUALIFIED MENTORSHIP
A study published in 2004 stated that 62% of Hispanics report that neither of their parents went to college. This barrier faced by many Hispanic student implies a lack of strong family support (qualified assistance) during the entire college search and application process. This is a huge responsibility for the student to take on, mentally.

Parents who have not attended college themselves may not have the skills, funding, or social networks to help their child during his/her college search, SAT preparation, and application process. Some families are even unaware of the financial aid available to fund their child’s education and are uncomfortable with completing the Free Application for Student Financial Aid application (FASFA).

My Own Experiences and Opinions as a Hispanic Woman:
This notion that many Hispanics grow up in communities that fail to promote higher education, is something that I personally experienced in my own community while growing up. Thankfully, I have seen some improvements in my old neighborhood’s school system, one that caters primarily to Hispanics.

A Spark of Improvement in the System:
You can imagine my excitement when I see my five-year-old niece wearing a Longhorn t-shirt (UT is my Alma Mater) to school every Friday for College Spirit Day.  Most importantly I am delighted because looking back, at five-years-old, I cannot remember hearing the word college. The fact that my five-year-old niece is exposed to the notion,“Going to college is the next step after high school” is, believe it or not, very impressionable on her young mind and something that has been missing from a lot of the schools within my old neighborhood. Let’s remember that these small changes over time will significantly add up and essentially give students and parents the empowerment (courage and knowledge) needed to conquer such barriers listed above.

An Opportunity for Discussion:
How do we constructively address and change these things that hinder Hispanic students’ education? What do you think the problem is, and of course in order to be constructive, how do you think the problem should be solved?

Tags: college attendance, college enrollment, financial need, Hispanics in higher education, mentors

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 10:59 am and is filed under Higher Education, community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.