“This brings college to kids who might not otherwise go,” Sheehan says. “They can talk to a professor in an environment they are comfortable in, take a course and kick the tires of college to see if it is something they might be interested in.

“We also recruit in neighborhoods. We sit down with kids and talk to their parents in their living room and tell them their child has college potential. We work one-on-one with families to help them start thinking about college, and locate financial resources if they need them,” Sheehan says.

Stephanie Torrez, director of UNC’s Center for Human Enrichment, says one-third of all incoming students at UNC each year are first-generation college students; many are Hispanic. In efforts to improve retention rates, CHE places participating students in a learning community with peers and provides in-class tutoring, academic advising and technical support. Torrez should know what works, because she was once a student participant in the program.

But Hispanic children need more than financial and academic support to succeed in college, some say. Positive emotional support must also come from society and teachers and administrators at the higher education institution itself.

Sheehan, who also teaches a psychology of prejudice class, says stereotypes play into Hispanic students’ decisions about whether to attend college.

“If there is an expectation that a culture will under or over perform, then often times, kids will subconsciously meet those expectations that have been set for them,” Sheehan says. “We need to improve the perception that a university is not a welcoming place for Hispanics. We also have to examine if we truly offer a welcoming environment, and if not, remedy that.”