HEA Additional Information

Additional Points for

The Higher Education Act Reauthorization (H.R. 6)

67% of Hispanic students between the ages of 12 and 24 are TRIO eligible, compared with 57% of African Americans and 24% of whites.
Given the above figures and the current US population between 12 and 24, Hispanics make up 27% of TRIO eligible participants, whites make up 45%, blacks 23%, and 5% other.
However, if you include the TRIO eligible students from Puerto Rico which you should since TRIO projects serve Puerto Rico, then Hispanics make up 29% of TRIO eligible participants, whites make up 43.5%, blacks 22.6%, and 4.9% other.
Given that only 16% of students served by TRIO are Hispanic, only about half the number of Hispanics that would be served by an equitable distribution of TRIO resources are served by TRIO programs.
From 1977 to 1993, when the U.S. Hispanic population doubled in size, the percentage of Hispanics served by TRIO declined from 18% to 16%.
Out of the 5 million Hispanic students eligible for TRIO, only 2% are served by TRIO. Out of the 17 million students eligible for TRIO, about 4% are served by TRIO.
LNESC serves over 16,000 students each year-13,000 of whom are Hispanic. We serve approximately 14% of the Hispanics served by TRIO. Nevertheless we only serve about one fourth of one percent (.26%) of Hispanic students who are eligible for TRIO.
About two-fifths of students between the ages of 12 and 24 in Southern states would be eligible for TRIO services, compared with 34% from Western states, 30% from Midwestern states, and 28% from the Northeast.
Hispanics make up 24% of all individuals living in poverty. Income is one of two criteria determining eligiblity for TRIO programs.
Only 9.3% of Hispanics 25 years of age and older hold a bachelor degree compared to 24% of the U.S. Population as a whole. At least two thirds of the students served by TRIO should potentially be the first in their families to go on to college.
Yet, despite having the highest poverty rates and the lowest educational attainment rates of any population, Hispanics make up only 16% of Trio participants.
Nearly one in five of our nation's Hispanics between the ages of 16 and 24 who ever enrolled in a United States school left school without either a high school diploma or an alternative certificate such as a GED.
If we consider all of this nation's Hispanics, including immigrants who never enrolled in U.S. schools, the Hispanic dropout rate reaches 30 percent.
While accounting for just 56 percent of all U.S. immigrants, Hispanics account for nearly 90 percent of all immigrant dropouts.
While the dropout rate for other school-aged populations has declined, more or less steadily, over the last 25 years, the overall Hispanic dropout rate started higher and has remained between 30 to 35 percent during that same time period.
As a result, today's dropout rate for Hispanics is 2.5 times the rate for blacks and 3.5 times the rate for white non-Hispanics.
More over of Hispanics who have ever enrolled in the U.S. schools, proportionately more of them seek alternative high school diplomas than do whites; that is, they may get high school diplomas, but even Hispanics who get diplomas are more likely to leave school in order to do so.
13% of all children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in the United States are Hispanic.
29.1% of all Hispanic families with children live in poverty.
Only 9.3% of Hispanics 25 years of age and older hold a bachelor degree compared to 24% of the U.S. Population as a whole.

LULAC National Educational Service Centers

Talent Search Program: 1996-97

Provided educational services to 16,006 participants.
80% of participants assisted were low income, first generation.
80% (12,840) of participants serviced by the program were Hispanic.
97% retention rate of 6th-8th graders serviced.
74% of potential college bound participants were placed into a post secondary institution.
51% of participants were placed into a 2-year post secondary institution.
39% of participants were placed into a 4-year post secondary institution.
77% of participants received financial aid assistance (FAFSA form completion, SAR review, fee waiver completion, college costs review, information on PELL grants, student loans and scholarships).
82% of participants received career counseling (discussion of interests, career inventory tests, discussion of college courses needed in field of interest).
31% of participants received college campus orientations (one day trips or sleepovers to state/private colleges, sit in college courses, discussion of what college is like by past TS participants who are currently enrolled).
20% received some type of mentoring component (community leaders address students, older talent search students mentor middle school students after school or on designated school days, discussion of what college is like by past TS participants now enrolled).
85% of participants received general advising (attitude/thoughts about home, school, college, interests).
Participants are seen on the average 4.2 times by LNESC Talent Search advisor.

For further information contact Selena Walsh, League of United Latin American Citizens, 1133 20th St., NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 408-0060,