About half of Hispanic high school students in Indiana would be the first in their families to attend college, and most feel they can’t afford a higher education, according to a new survey.
Learn More Indiana’s annual survey of high school freshmen and juniors found that most students expect to earn a four-year college degree. But fewer Hispanic students expected a four-year degree compared to their peers.
The study emphasizes the need for all students to consider themselves “college material,” said Elizabeth Crouch, spokeswoman for Learn More Indiana, a group of education organizations.
“The majority of students are saying they want to go to college,” Crouch said. “When asked if they have a plan or way to pay for it, they don’t know.”
Following the roadmap to college, a path filled with tests, applications and deadlines, can be more difficult for students without family members who have gone to college. About a quarter of Black and White 9th grade students in the 2007-2008 school year said no one in their household attended college, compared to 50 percent of Hispanic freshmen.
Potential first-generation college students often face more obstacles than others in high school. Researchers say those teenagers sometimes lack the rigorous academic preparation and family encouragement that others have.
