Closing the gap on Hispanic higher education

The University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) is one of the most binational of America’s big universities. Some 90% of its students come from the borderplex—the Texan city of El Paso and its much larger sister-city, Ciudad Juárez, on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. More than 70% of its students are Mexican or Mexican-American.

And that, in turn, means that the El Paso campus is rather different from the University of Texas’s flagship campus in Austin. More than half of UTEP students are among the first in their families to go to college, and roughly a third come from families with incomes below $20,000 a year. Diana Natalicio, UTEP’s president, says that for many of her students trouble at work, or an unexpected expense, can derail a whole year of college. UTEP tries to help, offering after-hours advice and instalment plans for tuition fees. Such measures have helped it to become one of the country’s leading sources of degrees for Hispanic students.

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Source: The Economist

Tags: education, hispanic

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Art Calvo on November 16, 2009 at 6:29pm: How many US citizen young people are being denied acceptance and/or financial aid as the trade off?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JP on November 18, 2009 at 9:45pm: Art,
Good question. In addition, how many US citizens are dismayed by this fact?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Diana Nieto on November 18, 2009 at 3:09pm: Thanks to the SB 1528 affidavit in Texas, alot more international students are able to go to college/university and pay in-state tuition rates versus out-of-state tuition.
http://essc.unt.edu/registrar/forms/Affidavit%20SB%201528.pdf
However, undocumented students cannot apply for federal fianacial aid. Therefore, paying for college is still a challenge.

Nonetheless, it is possible for these students get aid from the state (Texas Scholars community service), if they choose to apply.
Of course every university/college varies.

The big question is: how are degreed undocumented students going to get a job?
That is something congress needs to work on!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JP on November 18, 2009 at 9:49pm: Diana,
Here is a thought. What if undocumented students are allowed to obtain a green card by performing civil service while they are going to college?
And for degreed undocumented people, the same principal would apply or they could serve in one of US military branches to obtain resident status.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Art Calvo on December 4, 2009 at 6:38pm: How about this? These graduates go back to their countries of origin, likely developing countries or those that would like to foster development, and they help their countrymen. If the activists can mobilize here in the US and demand change why is it not occurring in the various homelands?
Another point, I have a college-aged son who would never be able to attend an out of state college and pay in-state tuition despite the fact that my tax dollars are in some way providing federal funds to the colleges even if it may be research dollars.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Art Calvo on December 4, 2009 at 6:42pm: Also, it is NOT Congress' job or obligation to get ANYONE a job and particularly undocumented degreed students. You won't find it anywhere in the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. It is the job of the government to defend us....period.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Diana Nieto on December 5, 2009 at 5:23pm: Thanks for replying! I respect your views.
I just think it makes sense for the govt. to simply make it legaly possible for them to get a job in the U.S (without having to join the military or go back to their country). This doent mean that the govt. has to ensure them a job.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WMX/is_19_22/ai_n15950876/

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/northeastnews/ci_13793512; ▶ Reply to This

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