225. Unstack the Odds--Information, Part 1

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!

by

Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

13. Information, Part 1

Regarding information about college, the Roadmap for Latinos recommended the following: “Inform parents and family members about the pathway to college and provide support to students to attain a degree. [emphasis in original] Almost half of Latino students are the first in their family to attend college and over one-third live off-campus and at home with their parents. Therefore, information about how to prepare and pay for college should be provided early and often to students. Given almost half of Latino college students are the first in their family to go to college, the awareness of the education system and process for accessing college may be limited. Effective programs by community-based organizations and others to inform parents and families early and often in the education process increases preparation, access, and choice in postsecondary education.” (Roadmap for Ensuring America’s Future By Increasing Latino College Completion, Excelencia in Education, March 2011, p. 12.) http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

The Latino Roadmap also proposed the following regarding information: “Establish or expand community partnerships to compliment institutional efforts to increase students’ access to and success in postsecondary education. [emphasis in original] Community partnerships play a role in student retention, completion and success. Community organizations can provide services such as childcare, transportation assistance, special tutoring schools cannot afford to provide. They can help students who face high barriers to completion.” (Ibid., p. 13.) http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

219.Unstack the Odds--Cost, Part 1

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!
by
Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

11. Cost, Part 1

When it comes to cost, it’s helpful to consider the view of Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, President Emeritus at The George Washington University, who described higher education pricing as follows: “Colleges and universities have been using the sales model for years: it is called ‘scholarships’ and other forms of financial aid. And most admissions officers can tell you their school's ‘discount rate,’ a term of art that comes from the merchandising sector. Statements like, ‘Our tuition is $42,000 a year but 48 percent of our students receive aid,’ tells us that 52 percent pay full price and all the others get a markdown.” (Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, “Price Does Not Equal Cost,” The New York Times, February 22, 2011.) http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/02/21/cutting-tuition-a-first-step/reducing-college-tuition-a-patch-on-a-leaky-roof

For the underrepresented students with odds stacked against their access to college and reduced chances of success, these financial discounts are often irrelevant, however, since their high school grade-point average, class-rank, and score on the ACT or SAT will often not qualify them to receive much—if any--merit aid (i.e., scholarships.) Therefore, securing need-based aid is critical. Indeed, the Roadmap (cited earlier) offered this recommendation in regard to reducing the cost of college for Latinos: “Guarantee need-based aid for qualified students.” [emphasis in original] As it explained, “Finding and receiving sufficient financial aid to pay for college are complex and cumbersome processes. Providing potential and current students with a guarantee of their eligibility for financial support has been effective for enrolling and retaining low-income students at several institutions and has the potential to be effective on a larger scale.” (Roadmap for Ensuring America’s Future By Increasing Latino College Completion, Excelencia in Education, March 2011, p. 15.) http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

Also from the Roadmap regarding cost of college was its recommendation to “Make college accessible and affordable for students of all economic backgrounds.” [emphasis in original] “Policy efforts” offered included the following:
“Market state scholarship programs more intentionally targeted at students from economically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities to increase their application of federal and private financial aid resources to pay for college.
Create financial incentives for low-income students to remain continuously enrolled in higher education until degree attainment. This could include loan forgiveness, textbook waivers, or tuition discounts to students who remain continuously enrolled. . . .
Expand need-based funding from the state for low-income students. [and]
Charge leaders of public higher education institutions to develop a coordinated action plan to increase capacity, access, and degree attainment . . . .” (Ibid., p. 17.) http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

215.Unstack the Odds--Latinos:Another Crisis, Pt 2

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!
by
Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

7. Latinos: Another Crisis, Pt 2

The nonprofit organization Excelencia in Education released its report Roadmap for Ensuring America’s Future By Increasing Latino College Completion in March 2011. That report summarized the higher education situation of Hispanics, stating “Latino educational attainment is currently lower than that of other groups (only 19 percent of Latino adults have earned an associate or higher degree.” (Roadmap for Ensuring America’s Future By Increasing Latino College Completion, Excelencia in Education, March 2011, p. 7.) http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

Regarding Latino college preparation, Roadmap presented these data:
“The high school completion rate for Hispanics overall increased from 60 percent in 1987 to 69 percent in 2009.
Latinos are more likely to be placed into lower academic tracks throughout their secondary
schooling, which affects their college preparation.
Many Hispanic students have taken remediation courses. In 2007-08, 45% of Hispanic students
had taken a remedial course compared to 38% of all students.” (Ibid., pp. 8-9.)

As for the college enrollment of Hispanic males, these statistics were offered:
“Latino’s college-going rate is lower than other groups. The college-going rate for Latino high school completers between 18-24 years of age was 37%. In comparison, the rate was 40% for black and 49% for white high school completers. . . .
Many Latinos are the first in their family to enroll in college. In 2007-08, about 50% of Hispanics enrolled in college had parents whose highest level of education was a high school diploma or less. In comparison, 45% of black and 28% of white students were the first in their family to go to college. . . . “ (Ibid., p. 9.)

Regarding Hispanic economic background, this profile was presented:
“Latinos are more likely to be low-income. In 2007-08, almost 25% of Latino students (dependents) have family incomes less than $40,000, compared to 11% of white students. . . .
Latinos, on average, received lower amounts of total financial aid or any type of aid than all
students—except for work-study—in 2008. Latino students received a lower average financial aid award ($7,925) than all students ($9,114).” (Ibid.)

Finally, as for Latino college completion, the data offered were these:
“ In 2008, Hispanics 25 years and over in the United States were less likely to have earned a postsecondary degree (19 percent) than blacks (29 percent), whites (39 percent), and Asians (59 percent).” (Ibid.)