The website of the Tomas Rivera Center Claremont Graduate School is the best collection of studies I have seen about why Latinos do not attend and complete college. Go to www.trpi.org and then go to publications/education.The USA latino community is from 21 nations and includes 49 million people including Puerto Rico. About 9-12 million are undocumented, and the rest legal residents. The Tomas Rivera studies are stunning about what Latino parents do not know about college, and their difficulties in using the complex fiancial aid system. Huge majorities of parents do not know the difference between a 2 and 4 year college, and thought the fees were about the same. A majority of parents got no information on student aid, and thought applying for aid might risk their immigration status.
Over 50% of California k-12 public school students are latino, and 80% who go to college attend a community college. Their completion rate is 17% including technical certificates and transfer.

Labels: College Completion, student aid

According to NCES data bases community college students are distinctive. 43% have income below $30,000 compared to 34% in 4 year publics and 32% in not for profit 4 year private. 66% are part time compared to 30% and 27%. 33% have dependent children compared to 13% and 27%.
Yet community college students get the least financial aid of all sectors because there living expenses are not covered. There is too much focus on lower communtity college fees ,and not enough on how these students can meet room and board through living off campus. No wonder community college completion rates are low.

Labels: College Completion, college costs, student aid

The April 20 New York Times education section has a good article on the big change in financial aid policies for America"s most selective colleges. It clearly describes the major change to provide more grant money to the middle and lower income students. More low income students are getting a signal that they can go to these colleges,because the aid policies are easy to understand.
But the article also points out that very few students attend these colleges with incomes under $ 100,000, and the total enrollment of these schools is less than 5% of the overall college enrollment- eg 45% of students attend 2 year schools.
The conclusion at the end is my concern. it implies that what the elites do will drive the discussion for financial aid policies for broad access colleges that are open enrollment or non selective and where the low and middle income students go. I once thought this might be true , but after completing 10 years of research no longer think so. Pell grants and state merit scholarship programs are not influenced much by what Harvard, Stanford, Virginia,or Amherst do. -see http://bridgeproject.stanford.edu .

Labels: college information, student aid

The percent of community college students who apply for federal student aid rose 37% between 2001 and 2006, but only half the students apply for federal aid. 4 year college students apply at a rate of about 80% more- see EconomicDiversity.org. Community college students find the aid application process daunting and unclear since they are part time and have little counseling. Moreover, many community colleges have insufficient student services to help students apply. The rates of application in Californias community colleges are all over the map depending on local college priorities.
A new study by the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School research found many students from Chicago could have gone to 4 year colleges, but found the aid application process "too intimadating". College completion is much higher at four year colleges.Latinos in Chicago were particularly unlikely to apply for aid at 4 year colleges that they were qualified to attend.
High schools need to do more to help these students apply and create a culture of pursuing financial aid.

Labels: academic preparation, College Completion, student aid