STEVE INSKEEP, host:
New research out this morning finds that Latino college students get less financial aid that other groups. There's a lot of concern about the low numbers of Latino students who earn college degrees, and many of them come from low-income families. They're often the first of their family to go to college if they can go.
Sarita Brown is president of the group Excelencia in Education, one of the groups that did this study, and she joins us now.
Good morning.
Mr. SARITA BROWN (Excelencia in Education): Good morning.
INSKEEP: So the key findings here are what?
Ms. BROWN: The good news is that Latino students are applying for financial aid. The alarm bells go off in the fact that they're receiving less support. Their participation in terms of federal financial aid, state aid, institutional aid is there, which for those of us who want to accelerate Latino achievement in post-secondary education is important.
INSKEEP: Your findings are that Latinos receive less financial aid on average, a Latino receives less financial aid than anybody from any other racial or ethnic group.
Ms. BROWN: Correct. It's not a dramatic difference, but when the fastest-growing population in the country does receive less aid, it's something to take note of.
INSKEEP: Why is this happening?
Ms. BROWN: The data that we use gives us an opportunity to speculate. That's why it's going to drive us for a long time to come. Part of it is what we call chicken and egg. Are the campuses, are the institutions where Latino students enroll not in a position to give as much financial aid as others and thus the students get less aid? Or is it simply that students are not pursuing all of the financial aid that's available to them? We at the moment recognize the fact that almost 60 percent of Hispanic students who go to college choose community colleges to be a big issue in this discussion.
INSKEEP: African-Americans actually receive more financial aid than Latinos.
Ms. BROWN: Correct.
INSKEEP: Is it possible that there's just been more historical focus on African-Americans and the problems there than on Latinos?
Ms. BROWN: I think that that may be part of it. I also think that the strength of historically black colleges and universities and their long history in focusing on that population has been positive for the African-American community and their participation in higher education.
INSKEEP: You mentioned that your research can only show so much at this point about why this is happening. Let's just talk about people you've met, that you've dealt with in your work or in your personal life. What is your sense, and what are the kinds of stories that you hear?
Ms. BROWN: I think there's a couple things. Despite the fact that there's a lot of emphasis on financial aid, and a lot of people recognize its importance, it's still a mystery. And I keep company with people in professional circles, my colleagues who work for colleges and universities, work for associations, will still, when their children are applying to college, give me a call. And that's an indication that despite all of the formal knowledge that they may have...
INSKEEP: They don't know how...
Ms. BROWN: ...it's daunting.
INSKEEP: They don't know how to get into the system.
Ms. BROWN: Exactly.
INSKEEP: Wow. That's one thing. What's another?
Ms. BROWN: I think the other is the fact that we are still, in terms of Latino students, first-generation college students, by and large, that the kind of traditions that get passed down at the kitchen table, where you went to school, what dorm you enrolled in, what you majored in, are brand-new conversations within the Latino community.
INSKEEP: Sarita Brown, thanks very much.
She is president of the group Excelencia in Education, which is one of the groups that did a study of financial aid for Latinos as compared to others. She was also the executive director of an initiative on education for Hispanic-Americans in the Clinton White House.
This is NPR News.
Copyright © 2005 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.