Spring Break
Program works to counter low Hispanic attendance
Rachel McDaniel
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
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A recent study found Hispanic students are choosing colleges and universities because they are close to home, which could be good news for schools like TCU that say they want to raise their minority student population.
TCU is in the middle of a community that has a high percentage of minorities - especially Hispanics - yet the number of Hispanic students at TCU remains low.
Fort Worth has a Hispanic population that accounts for nearly 33 percent of its total population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Fifty-five percent of the students enrolled in the Fort Worth Independent School District are Hispanic, according to the district's 2006-2007 profile.
Last year 3,587 students graduated from FWISD schools. Sixty-six came to TCU this fall. Twenty of those students were Hispanic, said Amanda Sanchez, a research analyst in Institutional Research.
A study conducted by Excelencia in Education, an organization that aims to increase Hispanic achievement in higher education, found almost half of all Latino undergraduates are concentrated at 6 percent of colleges nationwide.
These colleges, which the study called Hispanic Serving Institutions, had low costs, close proximity to home and an approachable campus. All were located in large Latino communities. There are more than 37 Hispanic Serving Institutions in Texas, including private universities such as St. Edward's in Austin and the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. TCU is not one of them.
The Reasons
TCU is not alone in its low percentage of Hispanic students. Southern Methodist University had a student body last year that was 6 percent Hispanic, according to its fact sheets. Baylor's freshman class was 9.2 percent Hispanic, according to its factbook.
But this may not be because of anything TCU is failing to do, said Mike Marshall, assistant director of admissions.
"Not many (Hispanic) high school students are aware of how to prepare for college," he said. "The curriculum that they are taking in their high schools isn't preparing them for college, so they're not prepared to make the transition."
TCU is in the middle of a community that has a high percentage of minorities - especially Hispanics - yet the number of Hispanic students at TCU remains low.
Fort Worth has a Hispanic population that accounts for nearly 33 percent of its total population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Fifty-five percent of the students enrolled in the Fort Worth Independent School District are Hispanic, according to the district's 2006-2007 profile.
Last year 3,587 students graduated from FWISD schools. Sixty-six came to TCU this fall. Twenty of those students were Hispanic, said Amanda Sanchez, a research analyst in Institutional Research.
A study conducted by Excelencia in Education, an organization that aims to increase Hispanic achievement in higher education, found almost half of all Latino undergraduates are concentrated at 6 percent of colleges nationwide.
These colleges, which the study called Hispanic Serving Institutions, had low costs, close proximity to home and an approachable campus. All were located in large Latino communities. There are more than 37 Hispanic Serving Institutions in Texas, including private universities such as St. Edward's in Austin and the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. TCU is not one of them.
The Reasons
TCU is not alone in its low percentage of Hispanic students. Southern Methodist University had a student body last year that was 6 percent Hispanic, according to its fact sheets. Baylor's freshman class was 9.2 percent Hispanic, according to its factbook.
But this may not be because of anything TCU is failing to do, said Mike Marshall, assistant director of admissions.
"Not many (Hispanic) high school students are aware of how to prepare for college," he said. "The curriculum that they are taking in their high schools isn't preparing them for college, so they're not prepared to make the transition."
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