Title: Behind the Latino college degree gap - The Hechinger Report
Headings: Behind the Latino college degree gap
Behind the Latino college degree gap
Latinos are the least likely ethnic or racial group to get a college education, new report says
Jill Barshay

Content: More than a fourth of the state’s large Latino population has a college degree. That’s an impressive 9 percentage point jump since 2000, putting the state in first place for gains in Latino college attainment. However, the gap between Latinos and whites remains stubbornly high at 29 percentage points. The reasons why Latinos are struggling to obtain a college education are complex. Latinos are disproportionately poor, living in low-income communities where the schools aren’t preparing children for the rigor of college courses. As they enter adulthood, many are supporting their families and don’t have the luxury to focus on schoolwork. Nichols pointed out that Latinos are more likely to opt for community colleges and for-profit colleges, where graduation rates are lower. Many are the first in their families to attempt a degree. Reports like this one are a helpful first step in identifying the most difficult obstacles. The next step at The Education Trust is to count how many Latinos ever enrolled in college in each state so that we can better understand how much of these low college numbers are due to college dropouts versus those who never attempt college.