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.

Sometimes parents without college degrees urge their children to get a job instead of continuing their education.

"We have seen a lot of that and we are really trying to change that," said Gina Platten, education program coordinator at the Indiana Latino Institute.

But some Hispanic parents especially those who have recently immigrated to the country often push their children get a college education, said Lisa Sandoval, director of communications at the Washington, D.C.-based Hispanic College Fund.

"Parents realize they're exposing their children to opportunities they didn't have," Sandoval said. "The main barrier is knowing how and having the resources to actually pursue that education."