Supporting the participation and success of chicanos1 in higher education

Many a headline laments the low college enrollment rates of Chicanos and despite the growth of outreach programs aimed to address Chicanos’ low college enrollment and degree attainment rates, disparities persist. To be sure, there has been an increase in college enrollment among Latinos: 24% more Latinos are enrolled in college in 2001 than in 1996 (Fry, 2005). In the same period, college enrollment for Whites increased and shifted away from community college to 4-year colleges. The result is a persistent and widening gap in college enrollment and attainment between Latinos and Whites (Fry, 2005). According to the American Community Survey (2007), only 12.7% of all Latino adults have a baccalaureate degree compared to 30% of Whites.