While 58 percent of all freshmen surveyed said they thought they could afford college, just 41 percent of Hispanic freshmen thought so. Among juniors, expectations were more bleak about 54 percent of all juniors thought they could afford college, compared to just 35 percent of Hispanic juniors.
College affordability is a major issue among all students, but can be a bigger barrier for first-generation students. Since parents without college degrees typically earn less than others, it makes sense that their children often worry about paying for higher education.
Education advocates stress that nearly every student can find options for attaining higher education.
"College is the most important investment that you can make in your future," Crouch said.
The survey also found that students who have family members with college experience more often said that they know how to prepare for college, can find college admission requirements and have visited a college campus.
That kind of "college knowledge" is needed to help get students on track to a higher education, Sandoval said. The Hispanic College Fund gives scholarships and provides mentoring programs to help students get to college and succeed once there.
"Students have an immense drive," Sandoval said.
The Learn More Indiana survey included responses from more than 100,000 students in 9th and 11th grades at more than 320 public and private high schools around the state. Data from the voluntary survey given in October was compiled by Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.
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