Reality Check: Hispanic-Serving Institutions on the Texas Border Strategizing Financial Aid

1. Reality Check: Hispanic-Serving Institutions on the Texas Border Strategizing Financial Aid Deborah A. Santiago Excelencia in Education June 3, 2011 SFARN Philadelphia, PA

2. Reality Check • Exploratory research with 8 institutions along TX-Mexico border • (4 community colleges & 4 public universities) • Case study approach • Site visits, interviews, focus groups, data review • Raised research questions for more rigorous analysis with Latino lens

3. Why look at Latinos at HSIs and financial aid strategies? • HSIs enroll a critical mass of Latinos • Latinos in higher education are increasingly nontraditional and representation is growing • Look beyond enrollment to completion and what institutions are doing to address this • Financial aid is critical for higher education access and a potential tool for institutions to increase retention • follow up on acceleration plans

4. Why look at Latinos at 8 HSIs along the TX-Mexico border? • Very impoverished service areas • Very high Latino student concentration • Nationally ranked in enrolling and graduating Latinos, but rarely focus of study for what doing well • Very overlooked nationally • Already serving nontraditional population with need using limited resources

5. Questions • What are institutions with high concentrated enrollment of low-income and Latinos doing to improve college completion? • Are there financial aid resources, beyond Pell grants and direct loans, that can be used to increase Latino student retention?

6. Findings • General aversion to borrowing while costs increasing • more students work while enrolled (limits persistence and completion rates) • Federal financial aid critical (most participation) • Limited knowledge of financial aid options • Institutions engaged and/ are using financial aid strategies to increase retention

7. Effective Aid Strategies at 8 HSIs campus-based work-study programs Guaranteed need-based scholarships Early college high schools and dual enrollment Emergency loans and installment/payment plans Integration or coordination of outreach activities, program information, and student services Improved student/customer service and staff training Increased outreach

8. Campus-based work-study programs Policymaking: position issues and develop strategies based on more representative profile of Latino students

9. Link between work-study and retention • Work and earn income while enrolled for resources to cover expenses beyond tuition and fees • Keeps students on campus • Added opportunity to be aware and use institutional services • Potential for new or increased interaction with faculty, staff, and other students • If linked with discipline, can inform academic experience • Provides work experience in academic or community setting • Stronger sense of belonging on campus

10. Examples of effective strategies • Student Tech Services (El Paso Community College) • Use student IT fees to hire students for hands-on support in technology needs • Student Employment Initiative (University of Texas at Brownsville • Hire students who enroll at least 15 hrs, 2.75 GPA, 12 credits at UTB

11. For more information please visit: www.EdExcelencia.org To download “Reality Check” please visit: http://www.edexcelencia.org/research/reality-check-hispanic-serving-institutions-texas-border-strategizing-financial-aid