Latinx Student Assets, College Readiness, and Access: Are We Making Progress?

• Published in: Education Sciences
• Main Authors: Sylvia Hurtado, Hector Vicente Ramos, Edwin Perez, Xochilth Lopez-Salgado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Subjects: Latinx college students; college access; college readiness; asset bundle theory; selective institutions
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/10/4/100

While previous research has focused on the continuing educational disparities between the growing Latinx population and other racial/ethnic groups, this study focuses on the importance of the assets and enrichment opportunities that determine variability in Latinx student college access. Using the nationally representative 2009–2016 High School Longitudinal Study data, the authors employed multivariate analyses to study the effects of five asset bundles considered student endowments, including indicators of college readiness, on the number of college applications and the selectivity of the institution Latinx students decided to attend. The results indicate that differences in college readiness (high school GPA, AP credits) and material resources (Pell grants, student belief in parents’ ability to afford selective colleges) are the main predictors of not only being strategic in the college application process but also result in more selective college enrollment where students’ chances of college completion are higher. Asset bundles, however, do not completely explain social identity disparities based on gender and English language learner status. Further research is needed to advance asset-based models for Latinx students and the social mobility of students from low-income backgrounds and other social identities.