The number of Latino students entering college is on the rise, but they don’t all fit the profile of what colleges consider a typical freshman on campus.
Studies show they are more likely than other college students to be first-generation, work to support themselves, and care for dependents. new analysis Written by Excellencia in Education. This nonprofit researches and promotes policies regarding Latinos in higher education.
“Our aim in putting together this compilation was to not only reveal the current profile of students, but also to inform what more can be done to better serve them and increase degree completion rates. and thought-provoking,” said Deborah Santiago, CEO of the organization. and co-founder.
Real life and university life
Half of Latino college students are the first in their families to earn a higher education degree, so they can’t necessarily rely on their parents for advice on how to navigate their new environment. Their families also have a lower average income than any other group except black students.
Rather than viewing these characteristics as obstacles, Santiago said universities have an opportunity to provide “informational guardrails” to students who need help understanding necessities such as financial aid and courses needed to graduate. He says there is.
In the 2019-2020 academic year, more than half of Latinx students were enrolled part-time only or had “mixed enrollment,” which the analysis describes as somewhere between part-time and full-time enrollment.
One reason for this may be that many people work while attending university to finance their education and support themselves. According to the analysis, more than one-fifth of Latina students worked 30 to 39 hours a week, and the remaining one-third worked more than 40 hours a week.
Santiago said students who work at least 30 hours a week are more likely to “drop out” and take time off from school to save money on tuition. Alternatively, you may choose to attend part-time to make costs more manageable.
“These are all things that we generally know can limit the likelihood of completion,” Santiago said, adding that institutions have to employ these students directly on campus, creating more economic opportunities. It added that strategies such as providing support and ensuring strong online access to support services could help.
“if [students] People who choose to go to college have educational goals. How can we help them understand that? ” Santiago says. “And I think we don’t ask that question enough, because we’re always saying, ‘What do students need to do more of?'” , what do they need to change? I think it’s fine to say that, but we also have to hold institutions and decision-makers accountable. ”
Weighing the “opportunity cost” of college
While Latinos are earning more degrees overall, they outnumber other men and now account for 60 percent of Hispanic degree earners.
Santiago said that while Hispanic men are not less likely to earn degrees, this data should be considered when Latinos weigh higher education versus employment after high school. It shows a trade-off.
“If you’re paying to go to school and take classes instead of working and earning money, that’s an opportunity cost,” Santiago says.
Young Hispanic men who can quickly earn $25 to $30 an hour in a field like construction may have good reason to postpone going to college, but entry-level wages are College may seem more appealing to young Latinos facing $12 to $30, she explains. $15 an hour in other fields.
(According to statistics, nearly one-third of the construction workforce in 2020 was Latino. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall women make up one in ten construction employees. Full-time weekly pay at the time was nearly $1,000, about four times the minimum wage, and about 56 percent of construction workers had a high school diploma or less. )
In addition, the appeal of hands-on work for some Latinos, combined with a lack of Hispanic male role models in higher education, influences post-secondary career decisions, Santiago said. explains.
Professor Santiago said the question for institutions to consider is how they can attract students who want to pursue a degree after starting work in an industry like construction.
“You can make a good amount of money now, but in five years you’ll probably hit the upper limit of what you can make,” she says, not to mention the physical toll it takes over time. “So how do you balance that? Are you going to go back to college after that and continue to earn and advance professionally? It’s about how the opportunities are a little bit different and how higher education adapts to that.” I think it’s about understanding what you’re doing.”
Support upward mobility
Another good news from the analysis is that Latinos are rapidly entering STEM majors, with STEM degree completion rates increasing by 44% from 2015 to 2020.
Santiago says there are other things universities can do to help Latino students land well-paying jobs. While Latinos had the highest labor force participation rate of any ethnic group in 2022, they held the largest share of low-wage jobs and the lowest share of managerial and professional jobs.
Professor Santiago said that because many Latino students are first-generation and low-income, universities need strategies to educate students about the types of jobs and wages that a degree can lead to.
“I think the second part is recognizing that a lot of us tend to be low-income, so maybe we need to start doing something. [college] You might need to get a certificate because you’ll be working in parallel with that,” she says. “Instead of thinking of a certificate or associate degree as the end-all, it’s an opportunity to continue training, but then it’s credited towards the next degree to go from phlebotomist to LVN to RN?” This provides a clear path to higher-paying fields. ”
And the third factor is for employers to expand their networks, Santiago said.
“Very often, employers hire from the same 20 institutions,” she says. “There are some Latinos who got Ph.D.s in electrical engineering. Have you ever thought about recruiting from those campuses or are you always going to go to the same three or four campuses? So for me, There is an opportunity here for students, institutions and employers to play a role in providing better service.”
