An Economic Portrait of Low-Income Hispanic/Latinx Students

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, we want to recognize the contributions of our Hispanic, Chicanx and Latinx community. While the origin of this celebration is specifically titled "Hispanic Heritage Month," we understand the complexities of this as it combines many identities into one grouping. This particular blog has been shared with us by Alicia Marrero-Riera who is a student at the University of Florida majoring in political science. Alicia shares with us her story along with experiences of Latinx students in higher education. 

 

Historic Positive Trends in Education

Over the past decade, Latinos have made strides in college enrollment: Thirty-six percent of Latinos ages 18–24 entered college in 2019, decreasing the enrollment gap between Latinx students and their white counterparts by 5 percent since 2010 (Postsecondary Policy Institute, 2020). It's important to recognize the advances the Latinx community has made in higher education because Latinx students face disproportionate barriers. For example, almost half of all Latinx students (44%) were the first in their family to attend college, and had little to no guidance in regards to the college admission process (Santiago, Laurel, Bonilla, & Labandera, 2019).  As more Latinos enter college, they are rapidly reshaping the marketplace for college recruitment and subsequently changing the demographics of the student body. 

Effects of Covid on Latinx Communities

This positive trend came to a halt after the pandemic. Black and Latinx Americans are being hit at unequal rates due to factors caused by institutional and structural racism. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January 2021 Employment Situation Summary confirms that Black and Hispanic or Latinx Americans still represented the higher share of job losses with unemployment rates of 9.2 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively, compared with 5.7 percent for their white counterparts (Zamarripa & Roque, 2021).  Latinx workers, in particular, have been disproportionately affected by the recession following Covid-19  because they are overrepresented in service industries. These labor market disparities in turn have impacted  Latinos’ earnings, widening wealth, and income inequalities that exist across racial and ethnic lines in the United States. Weakened earnings have consequently harmed Latinos’ ability to feed themselves and their families. 

Intersection Between Economic Status and Education

The various economic factors brought by the pandemic have had large ramifications on Latinx students. There have been five years of growth lost in terms of enrollment and representation this year. Around this time last year, 114,385 FAFSA forms were submitted by students in schools with a Latinx enrollment of 75 percent or higher (Santiago, Natansen, & Harden, 2019). However, during the current cycle for the 2021-22 school year, 20,750 fewer applications had been submitted through Jan. 15 — an 18 percent drop (Douglas-Gabriel, Natanson, & Harden, 2021).

Now more than ever Latinx students are reaching out for assistance at their colleges, with the hopes of finding the means to continue their education. But because many universities are catered to their predominantly white student body, many Latinos find themselves lost when dealing with the bureaucracy of higher education. Additionally, financial disruptions in Latinx livelihoods are causing Latinx students to reconsider their priorities in terms of their education. For example, when asked why Latinx students are dropping out of college, the main reasons reported are: they did not receive adequate help from advisors, they were confused as to student loan repayment, and a lack of financial aid.  Consequently, low-income Latinx students were forced to decide between helping their families through the recession and their academics. And while going to college might be a way for Latinx students to support their families in the long run, the immediate need often supersedes that goal.  Whether they are assisting their household by working blue-collar jobs, taking care of their younger siblings, etc., Latinx students are left with very limited economic mobility.

My Story

Like many others, the global pandemic brought a new wave of uncertainty into my family. My father is a surgical oncologist who currently resides in Venezuela and experienced an insurmountable amount of deaths due to a lack of funding, medicine, and equipment. Meanwhile, here in the States my brothers and I graduated high school at the peak of the pandemic. During this time, our plans to move away from college shifted and we decided to stay home and do school online during the pandemic. Because Hispanic culture values family relations, I spent most of my time taking care of my grandma and helping around the house in any way I could. My mom also broke the news that due to many losses, she will no longer be able to finance all four of our tuition payments (I am a triplet and I have a younger brother who is a year younger).  My brothers and I discussed our budget to see whose tuition would be paid for. Arturo, the eldest triplet, decided to enlist in the Marines in hopes of both serving this country and having economic freedom in the future. Miguel and I managed to get enough scholarships to finance our tuition while I began working to manage the rest of my livelihood. Lastly, my mom agreed that she will pay for my youngest brother Federico’s tuition. Because many Latinx families have experienced much larger economic insecurities during Covid-19, I am eternally grateful that we were able to continue our education. My message to other Latinx students that are in similar situations is to turn to your support system because without my family and their motivation I would have not been able to pursue all my goals.

 

Resources

Financial Resources

Below are some scholarships that are catered to students who need extra financial assistance during the ongoing pandemic.

• Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship: https://www.ache.org/membership/student-resources/albert-w-dent-graduate-student-scholarship

• Actuarial Diversity Scholarship: https://www.actuarialfoundation.org/scholarships/actuarial-diversity-scholarship/

• AMS Minority Scholarships: https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/information-for/students/ams-scholarships-and-fellowships/ams-minority-scholarships/

• APA Foundation Scholarship: https://www.planning.org/foundation/scholarships/

• Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program for High School Seniors:  https://ww2.salliemae.com/landing/bridging-the-dream/ 

Mental Health Resources 

Here are some resources to help Latinx students who are struggling to balance all their responsibilities during the ongoing pandemic.

• https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Hispanic-Latinx

• https://www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/hispanic-latino

• https://www.verywellmind.com/9-mental-health-resources-for-the-latinx-community-5114193

Contributor: Alicia Marrero-Riera is a student at the University of Florida majoring in political science. Outside of her studies she is actively involved in co-curricular activities including serving as an Hispanic-Latinx Association (HLA) ambassador for the Multicultural Department at the University of Florida. In this role, she collaborates with the other branches to educate students about how the Latinx population intersects with LGBTQ+, Asian Pacific Islander Desi, and Black Affairs. She is also a part of the International Mentorship Association (IMA), First-Generation Lawyers (FGL), and the UF equestrian team.

 

Works Cited:

Douglas-Gabriel, D, Natanson, N. & J. Harden. (2021). “A Steady Stream of Latino Students Was Arriving on College Campuses. Then the Pandemic Hit.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Feb. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/01/31/latino-college-enrollment-pandemic/.

Postsecondary National Policy Institute. (2020). “Factsheets.” PNPI, 19 June 2020, https://pnpi.org/latino-students/.

Santiago, D., Laurel, J. Martinez, J. Bonilla, C. & E. Labandera. “Latinos in Higher Education: Compilation of Fast Facts.” Excelencia in Education, 1 Apr. 2019, https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/publications/latinos-higher-education-compilation-fast-facts. 

Zamarripa, R & Roque, L.. “Latinos Face Disproportionate Health and Economic Impacts from Covid-19.” Center for American Progress, 5 Mar. 2021, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2021/03/05/496733/latinos-face-disproportionate-health-economic-impacts-covid-19/.