The Clock is Ticking

With nearly 13 million Hispanics in the United States under the age of 18, America’s higher education system is bracing for an influx of new students.

By Kristin Bagnato

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, and the recent influx of Hispanics has turned some states into “majority-minority” populations. Texas has announced that it has joined California, New Mexico and Hawaii in the club, with a 50.2 percent minority population.

According to March 2002 U.S. Census Department data, there are nearly 37.5 million Hispanics in the United States. That’s one in eight across the country. While the survey also found that two in five Hispanics in the United States were born somewhere else, that statistic will change drastically over the next generation, when the 34.4 percent of Hispanics who are under age 18 grow up and raise families.

So where does all this number-crunching get us? To postsecondary education. That 34.4 percent of Hispanic children in elementary and secondary schools now will soon be old enough for college. But will college be ready for them? If not, an enormous number of Hispanic youth will go underserved, which will surely have far-reaching consequences as these children grow up and join the work force.

Hispanic students often struggle with lower incomes and attend schools that are underfunded and ill-equipped to handle the language and cultural challenges inherently associated with immigrant populations. Regardless, Hispanic families are eager for their children to go on to attain the highest level of education possible, but lack of communication between schools and families can lead to confusion about necessary test scores, funding options and application procedures.

With the U.S. Hispanic population historically concentrated in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Mexico and Arizona, these states have more of the onus to be ahead of the pack in educating their Hispanic students. And with nearly half (45.6 percent) of Hispanics living in city centers, according to the census data, city colleges are pressured even more to cater to these students. But with funding shortages and cutbacks, colleges are already struggling to provide the services these students need to succeed.