Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

Hispanics Optimistic About the Power and Affordability of Higher Education

An overwhelming majority of Americans continue to believe that having a certificate or degree beyond high school is important to our success as a nation and as individuals. But, according to results from a recent Gallup-Lumina Foundation Poll on Higher Education, Hispanics and African-Americans believe most strongly in the power of postsecondary education to help deliver good jobs and a better quality of life. In addition, Hispanics are more optimistic than other groups that this type of education is available and affordable to all.

Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

Community College Initiative Could Have Major Impact on Latinos

In his 2015 State of the Union speech, President Obama proposed introducing free community college tuition for all interested and qualified students nationwide. A recent report from the Pew Research Center noted that this plan could exert major impact on Latino students and could spark increased enrollment.

Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

Havidán Rodríguez Honored for Leadership and Lasting Impact on Higher Education

That quote comes from a colleague of Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, president ad interim of The University of Texas-Pan American and founding provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, who recently received the prestigious Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award at the annual American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) conference.

Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

From the Scholars' Corner

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I just never realized that my true passion would lie in serving my Latino community. As I sit on the brink of a new career, PhD in hand, constantly looking for ways to make education more equitable for Latinos, I find it necessary to reflect on how I’ve come to be here today. As an undergraduate student in teacher education, I soon discovered that I not only wanted to be an educator, but I wanted to serve a specific population of students – Latino students – that I felt were being mistreated by an education system that did not value our unique needs and contributions. I became that idealistic teacher who would make a difference for Latino students everywhere!

Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

New College Guide Offers Roadmap for First-Generation Students

Horatio Alger peppered his novels with characters that pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and succeeded despite being born into poverty. Alger’s characters embody the American Dream, yet few ascend to the highest rungs of the social later without some help from others. Like characters in an Alger novel, high school students need help, especially when choosing a college. Some students, however, just don’t have the support networks that others take for granted.

Hispanic Community July 2015 Premium

Recent Data on Latinos in Higher Education Sets Stage for More Action

Latino college success does not begin at the entrance to the college campus. “Every educational experience from early childhood to high school and into the workforce influences the potential for success,” says Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education which recently released its 2015 factbook on Latino student educational achievement. The factbook offers a national snapshot of Latino participation in all stages of education, from early childhood programs to doctoral studies. As Brown states, the factbook provides a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of Latino learning because it is necessary to “look critically at the entire educational pipeline.”