Latino students are now the second largest ethnic group enrolled in higher education, but recent U.S. Census data reveals among adults 25 and over they are less likely than other racial and ethnic groups to earn an associate degree or higher.
In 2011, only 21 percent of Latino adults 25 and over had earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 40 percent of all adults.
So the question has to be asked, what keeps Latino students out of higher education? It’s not lack of interest!
In most families, this leads to the difficult discussion about paying for college, which may have to be completed part-time thus decreasing the likelihood of completion.
Another hurdle associated with Latino students attaining a higher education is the majority of college-going Hispanics are often the first in their family to do so. The potential college student is alone on the convoluted path to higher education, meandering often blindly through ACT/SAT test scheduling, federal student aid and college requirements.
