How Latinos Pay for College:

Navigating College Finance

Education Writer’s AssociationSeptember 4, 2014 Dallas, Texas

Deborah A. Santiago

Audience Assumption Framing

Parents/students Access Opportunity

Policymakers Change Crisis

2 themes…

Getting financial aid is too hard…

Latino All

Applied 78% 74%

Received 63% 63%

Latinos received the lowest average total aid award amount of any group

Why?

Latino Student Profile

DACA/DreamerDACA/Dreamer

Financial Aid Overview

Financial Aid

Types: Grants/Scholarships, Loans, Work-Study jobs, Tax benefits

Sources: Federal, State, Institutional, Private, Personal

Acronyms:FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid

EFC: Expected Family Contribution

SAsP: Satisfactory Academic Progress

DACA: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Total Aid

Grants good; Loans… not so much

Work-study, yes!

For Latinos

State Aid • Latino participation is equal to all undergraduates: 16%

• Latinos received a higher average state aid award than all undergraduates.

UndergraduatesAverage State

Award

Latino $2,235

All $2,070

Institutional Aid• Latino participation is similar to all undergraduates: 17%

• There is a substantial disparity in the average institutional grant award between Latinos and all undergraduates.

UndergraduatesAverage

Institutional Award

Latino $2,965

All $4,260

Type of Institution

Percent Received Aid

Average Aid Amount

Public 2-year 43% $2,870

Public 4-year 75% $7,105

Private 4-year 86% $10,500

Private for-profit 91% $8,420

Types of institutions

Data: National Postsecondary Aid Study (NPSAS), U.S. Dept of Education, excludes Puerto Rico in 2012 study

Caution!

Scams: Families asked to pay for services or applications that are free

www.EdExcelencia.org