The number of Latino students entering college is increasing, but not all of them fit the profile of what institutions consider the typical freshman on campus.
They are more likely than other college students to be first-generation students who work to support themselves and care for their dependents, according to a new analysis from Excelencia in Education. The nonprofit researches and promotes Latino-related policies in higher education.
“Our intention in putting together this compilation was not only to clarify the current profile of our students, but also to inform and force thinking about what more can be done to better serve students and increase degree attainment. “ says Deborah Santiago, CEO of the organization. And co-founder.
Real life and college life
Half of Latino college students are the first in their families to earn a higher education degree. That means you can't necessarily ask your parents for advice on navigating a new environment. Their families also have lower average incomes than all other groups except black students.
Rather than seeing these characteristics as obstacles, Santiago says there is an opportunity for colleges to provide “information guardrails” for students who need help understanding essentials, such as financial aid or the courses needed to graduate.
More than half of Latino students were enrolled only part-time or had “mixed enrollment,” described in the analysis as between part-time and full-time enrollment, during the 2019-20 school year.
This may be partly because many people work while attending college to finance their education or support self-sufficiency. The analysis found that more than one-fifth of Latino students worked 30 to 39 hours per week, and another third worked more than 40 hours.
Santiago says students who work at least 30 hours a week are more likely to “drop out” and take time off from school to save more money on tuition. Alternatively, you may choose to attend part-time to make costs easier to manage.
“All of these things that we generally know can limit the likelihood of completion,” Santiago said, noting that institutions can hire those students directly on campus, provide more financial aid, or provide strong online access to support services. He added that we can respond with strategies such as:
“If the [students] You have chosen to attend college and have educational goals. How can we help them get it?” Santiago says: “And I don’t think we’re asking that question enough. Because we're always saying, 'What more should students do?' So what should they change?' I think it's okay to say that. But we must also hold institutions and decision-makers accountable.”
Consider the ‘opportunity cost’ of college
While Latinos are earning more degrees overall, they are outpacing their male peers and now make up 60% of Hispanic degree earners.
Santiago said that's not to say that degree attainment among Hispanic men is declining, but that the data shows the trade-offs that Latinos must consider when weighing higher education and employment after high school.
“If you go to school and pay someone to take a class instead of working and making money, that’s an opportunity cost,” Santiago says.
Young Hispanic men who can enter a field like construction and immediately make $25 to $30 an hour may find good reasons to delay college, but college may seem more attractive to young Latinos with entry-level wages of $12 to $30 an hour, she said. explains: In other fields, it's $15 per hour.
(Latinos made up nearly a third of the entire construction workforce in 2020, and one in 10 construction workers were women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the time, full-time wages were nearly $1,000 per week, or about four It is several times higher than the minimum wage, and about 56% of construction workers have a high school diploma or less.
Santiago explains that there is a lack of Hispanic male role models in higher education and some Latinos' attraction to real-world careers that influences their decisions about postsecondary pathways.
Santiago says the question institutions need to consider is how to engage students who want to earn a degree after starting out in an industry like construction.
“You can make a lot of money now, but in five years you’ll have reached the maximum you can make,” she says. Over time, she takes physical damage as well. “So how do you balance it? Do you want to return to college afterward to continue earning money and developing professionally? I think it’s just an understanding of how the opportunities are slightly different, and how does higher education adjust or adapt to that?”
Upward mobility support
Another piece of good news from the analysis is that Latinos are entering STEM majors at a rapid rate, with a 44% increase in STEM degree attainment from 2015 to 2020.
Santiago says there is more that universities can do to help Latino students land high-paying jobs. In 2022, Latinos had the highest labor force participation rate of all racial groups, but held a disproportionately high share of low-wage jobs and the lowest share of managerial and professional jobs.
Because many Latino students are first-generation and low-income, Santiago said colleges need a game plan to educate these students about the types of jobs and wages their degree can command.
“The second part is acknowledging that we may need to start because many of us tend to be low-income. [college] You may need certification because you are working at the same time,” she says. “Rather than thinking of a certificate or associate degree as the final step, it is an opportunity to continue your training. But can this be accepted as the next degree to move from phlebologist to LVN to RN? So the path to development into high-paying fields has become clear.”
And the third element is up to employers to expand their networks, Santiago says.
“Too often employers hire from the same 20 organizations,” she says. “There are Latinos who have earned doctorates in electrical engineering. Have you ever thought about recruiting from that campus, or do you always go to the same three or four? So I have an opportunity to do my part to better serve students, institutions and employers.”