Higher education is one of the critically important success factors in the modern world. It provides people with an opportunity to find a good job, build a career, and acquire a specific social status. However, regardless of multiple attempts to ensure equal and appropriate access to education for all individuals, there are still groups that face many challenges and cannot benefit from the advantages mentioned above. For instance, Hispanic people suffer from the high cost, low success rates, and financial burden of studying presupposes. Colleges cannot guarantee security for such minorities as there are no specific programs or projects aimed at considering the current difficulties and peculiarities of Hispanic people.
One of the main challenges limiting Hispanic people’s chances of becoming educated is their background. Statistics show that most students representing this group come from low-income families (Alcocer and Martinez 395). It means that they are in a weaker position compared to representatives of other ethnic groups and have to put much effort into succeeding and continuing their education. The lack of financial support from relatives and limited paying capacity presupposes the need to find a job to pay for studying and living during this period (Alcocer and Martinez 395). It might hurt academic performance, and attendance, and increase drop rates (Alcocer and Martinez 395). At the same time, colleges almost do not have special programs supporting Hispanic people.
Another challenge is the lack of experience and knowledge about how the system functions. Recent data shows that 70% of Hispanic students enrolling in college are first-generation learners, and their families do not realize the complexity of the process, peculiarities of application procedures, and how they should be performed (Fong et al. 351). It means that during this initial state, a serious number of enrollees can fail and become deprived of chances to acquire the desired education. Colleges also do not have specific tools to manage this aspect and ensure security for students during their application activities, which results in the emergence of a severe challenge linked to the discussed problem.
Finally, the statistics show that Hispanic students, especially male ones, show higher dropout rates than other groups. One of the leading reasons is the need to find a job to earn money and support families (Fong et al. 350). It serves as another barrier to acquiring higher education and finding a good job (Fong et al. 351). Minorities have to choose between the necessity to find sources of income and education, which becomes a serious dilemma affecting their future life.
At the same time, colleges devote little attention to this problem and do not offer specific measures to support students with high academic performance who have to leave the educational establishment because of financial issues (Fong et al. 351). It deteriorates the access to education for Hispanic students and the quality of their lives.
Altogether, at the moment, the problem with access to higher education for minorities remains relevant. Colleges cannot create appropriate conditions and ensure the security of Hispanic students, who face severe challenges, such as the high cost of education, financial issues, lack of family support, and the need to resolve personal questions. Under these conditions, there is a need for specific strategies and regulations to address the problem and create an environment that encourages representatives of this group to acquire higher education and engage in career-building processes using the knowledge they got.
Works Cited
Alcocer, Luis F., and Andres Martinez. “Mentoring Hispanic Students: A Literature Review.” Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, vol. 17, no. 4. 2018, pp. 393–401. Web.
Fong, Carlton J., et al. “Motivation for Staying in College: Differences Between LEP (Limited English Proficiency) and Non-LEP Hispanic Community College Students.” Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, vol. 15, no. 4. 2016, pp. 340–357. Web.