Survey Finds Dramatic Discrepancy Between Desire of Hispanic Students to Pursue Higher Education Opportunities and Enrollment Numbers

“In an effort to shed light on the unique challenges facing Hispanic students, the National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA) today joined with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), the Hispanic College Fund and Excelencia in Education to release new data illustrating the discrepancy between young Hispanic students interested in higher education and the actual number that pursue a degree. The findings were unveiled today at a press conference with Senator Joe Lieberman (IN-CT) and Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX).

“We need to reach out to Hispanic students earlier in their high school careers to ensure they have accurate information about the college planning process,” said Don Munce, President of NRCCUA. “The reality is that many Hispanic students are the first in their families to explore higher education. As a result, they cannot rely as often as some other ethnic groups on parents or family members to give them direction. They are more likely to rely on third party resources to aid them in their college search, application and financial aid processes. That is why it is so important to disseminate information to these students about higher education opportunities and bolster the work of key groups to open doors for Hispanic students into the higher education community.”

According to results of the NRCCUA-HHF College Preparation 2007 study, nearly 98 percent of Latino high school students say they want to attend college and nearly 95 percent say they realistically believe that they will graduate from college. These results mirrored those of high school students across all ethnic groups. However, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, Latino students attend college significantly less often than their peers in other ethnic groups with Latino student enrollment in higher education only reaching 25 percent in 2004. White student enrollment has remained steady around 40 to 41 percent while black student enrollment remained in the 31 to 32 percent range during the same time period.

“We need to embrace the unique needs and challenges facing today’s Hispanic students and make certain that they have all the tools at their disposal to pursue higher education,” said Munce. “Reaching out to these students in the early stages of their education decisions is vital in creating an environment where they can be successful in their higher education endeavors.”

NRCCUA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation are launching MiCollegeOptions.org, a service specifically designed to help Hispanic students with the college planning process. More information will be available at www.mycollegeoptions.org/ by July 1st.

NRCCUA - The National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) is a non-profit education research organization based in Lee’s Summit, Mo. For more information, visit www.nrccua.org/. NRCCUA

CONTACT: Emily Roper of Widmeyer for NRCCUA, +1-202-667-0901

Web site: www.nrccua.org/
www.mycollegeoptions.org/ “

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