College graduation rates for Hispanics continue to lag those of whites at Texas public and private universities even as colleges are pushing to increase Hispanic enrollment a new study has found.
The American Enterprise Institute recently released a report Rising to the Challenge that charted the performance of universities across the country.
The nonprofit based in Washington D.C. dedicated to research on issues such as economics and social welfare used data from six-year graduation rates from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Nationally from 2005-07 the graduation rate for Hispanics was 51 percent compared with 59 percent for whites. Texas universities had a Hispanic graduation rate of 40 percent. Whites were at 45 percent.
When the students arent graduating it suggests theres something going on there at the institutional level said research fellow Andrew Kelly.
The group said colleges have focused more on increasing minority enrollment rather than ensuring that those students graduate.
Challenges
A gap persists between Hispanic and white students regardless of whether the university had highly competitive or less selective admissions. However overall graduation rates were higher at the selective universities.
The report found that many Hispanic students dropped out because of financial challenges even when they had debts for courses as low as $200 that blocked them from re-enrolling. Hispanic students were less likely to be aware of loan and scholarship assistance.
The study also said successful universities tended to track their data carefully and create targeted programs. Those programs included summer academic institutes multicultural advisers and programs for Hispanic students and better counseling services.
For example Southern Methodist University graduated 71 percent of Hispanic students and 73 percent of white students. In comparison the University of Texas had a wider gap. UT graduated 69 percent of Hispanic students and 77 percent of whites.
SMU assistant provost Anthony Tillman said that a specific multicultural coordinator focused on programs for Hispanic students has helped in addition to mentoring and scholarships provided by a Hispanic alumni association.
We get them connected to the institution and oriented he said. Theres a strong bridge of support.
In Texas Rice University graduated the highest percentage of Hispanic students.
Researchers found that Hispanic students were more likely to attend less competitive universities than they were qualified to attend and they were less likely to graduate at the less selective schools.
Baylor University has focused on creating new programs to increase all students graduation rates since 2004 by looking more closely at student data said assistant vice president for student success Brandon Miller.
We strategically started evaluating where we were and where we wanted to go he said. He said the results wont be seen until the six-year results are in.
Miller said the university is now beginning to look more closely at subgroups such as minorities. The school is also considering conducting a campus climate survey to see how welcome minority students feel at Baylor.
The study also found that colleges with at least 25 percent of full-time students who are Hispanic are not performing better than other schools with Latino students and tend to have lower overall graduation rates.
Those schools with 25 percent or more Hispanic enrollment are eligible for additional federal funding. Several Dallas community colleges fall into this category.
Recommendation
Researchers recommended that the government award financial incentives based on graduation rates to improve performance.
The study also found that the graduation gap was most pronounced for Hispanic men and that Hispanic women have graduation rates roughly equal to those of white men.
Thats also true in Texas where white men have a 42 percent graduation rate and Hispanic women have a 45 percent rate. Hispanic men have a 37 percent graduation rate.
Men of all backgrounds now lag behind womens college attendance and graduation rates.
The bright spot is that Hispanic women do particularly well Kelly said. The flip side is that Hispanic men seem to lag way behind.
College graduation rates for Hispanics continue to lag those of whites at Texas public and private universities even as colleges are pushing to increase Hispanic enrollment a new study has found.
The American Enterprise Institute recently released a report Rising to the Challenge that charted the performance of universities across the country.
The nonprofit based in Washington D.C. dedicated to research on issues such as economics and social welfare used data from six-year graduation rates from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Nationally from 2005-07 the graduation rate for Hispanics was 51 percent compared with 59 percent for whites. Texas universities had a Hispanic graduation rate of 40 percent. Whites were at 45 percent.
When the students arent graduating it suggests theres something going on there at the institutional level said research fellow Andrew Kelly.
The group said colleges have focused more on increasing minority enrollment rather than ensuring that those students graduate.
Challenges
A gap persists between Hispanic and white students regardless of whether the university had highly competitive or less selective admissions. However overall graduation rates were higher at the selective universities.
The report found that many Hispanic students dropped out because of financial challenges even when they had debts for courses as low as $200 that blocked them from re-enrolling. Hispanic students were less likely to be aware of loan and scholarship assistance.
The study also said successful universities tended to track their data carefully and create targeted programs. Those programs included summer academic institutes multicultural advisers and programs for Hispanic students and better counseling services.
For example Southern Methodist University graduated 71 percent of Hispanic students and 73 percent of white students. In comparison the University of Texas had a wider gap. UT graduated 69 percent of Hispanic students and 77 percent of whites.
SMU assistant provost Anthony Tillman said that a specific multicultural coordinator focused on programs for Hispanic students has helped in addition to mentoring and scholarships provided by a Hispanic alumni association.
We get them connected to the institution and oriented he said. Theres a strong bridge of support.
In Texas Rice University graduated the highest percentage of Hispanic students.
Researchers found that Hispanic students were more likely to attend less competitive universities than they were qualified to attend and they were less likely to graduate at the less selective schools.
Baylor University has focused on creating new programs to increase all students graduation rates since 2004 by looking more closely at student data said assistant vice president for student success Brandon Miller.
We strategically started evaluating where we were and where we wanted to go he said. He said the results wont be seen until the six-year results are in.
Miller said the university is now beginning to look more closely at subgroups such as minorities. The school is also considering conducting a campus climate survey to see how welcome minority students feel at Baylor.
The study also found that colleges with at least 25 percent of full-time students who are Hispanic are not performing better than other schools with Latino students and tend to have lower overall graduation rates.
Those schools with 25 percent or more Hispanic enrollment are eligible for additional federal funding. Several Dallas community colleges fall into this category.
Recommendation
Researchers recommended that the government award financial incentives based on graduation rates to improve performance.
The study also found that the graduation gap was most pronounced for Hispanic men and that Hispanic women have graduation rates roughly equal to those of white men.
Thats also true in Texas where white men have a 42 percent graduation rate and Hispanic women have a 45 percent rate. Hispanic men have a 37 percent graduation rate.
Men of all backgrounds now lag behind womens college attendance and graduation rates.
The bright spot is that Hispanic women do particularly well Kelly said. The flip side is that Hispanic men seem to lag way behind.
