Marcela Betancur says many Latinos find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to higher education.
After all, a large percentage of college-age Latinos in Rhode Island are the first generation in their families to be born in the U.S., says Betancur, director of the Rhode Island-based Latino Policy Institute. And that often leaves them with little understanding of the country’s higher education system, and they often have more responsibilities outside of school.
A lack of connections and support in navigating the process of applying for colleges and for financial aid can severely limit their success.
“People that are first-gen start at a deficit,” Betancur said.
Nevertheless, in Rhode Island and nationwide, the number of Latinos – the nation’s largest minority group – graduating college has increased in the last two decades. From 2000 to 2021, the number of Hispanic women earning advanced degrees climbed by 291%, and by 199% among Hispanic men, according to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research Center.
The problem: They remain underpaid and underrepresented in the workforce, a reality that some believe may require more Latinos in positions of power to facilitate change.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the gains in Hispanics earning advanced degrees can be attributed to efforts by policy leaders to address disparities in achievements and outcomes and, despite attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, he expects graduation rates in the Hispanic community to continue to rise.
“I think the country recognizes the importance of making sure we invest in all of our students, including our Latinos,” said Cardona, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. “We have just as much potential as everyone else to be successful.”
According to census data, 21% of Hispanics ages 18 to 34 were enrolled in higher education in 2021, compared with 23% of white non-Hispanics. Pew found that 7% of Latinos aged 25 or older held a graduate degree in 2021, up from 4% in 2000 but still far fewer than 14% among all others in that age group.
In Rhode Island, Latino college graduation rates still lag behind those of their white peers, despite increased enrollment, according to Betancur.
At Rhode Island College, 41% of Latinos enrolled in 2017 graduated within six years, compared with 46% of all students. RIC, a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, has a wide range of programs offering support to Latino students.
Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit research and policy group, said many Latinos aren’t getting beyond associate degrees and college certificates because they have to work their way through school, and they often lack the necessary support or guidance to progress to a bachelor’s or move up the career ladder.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Latinos are underrepresented in higher-paying positions and are most often employed in production, transportation, farming, construction and maintenance occupations. In 2021, only 25% of Latinos in the workforce were employed in management or professional occupations.
Betancur said Latinos often can’t afford to wait for better opportunities because of factors such as high student debt. That inability to “hold off” contributes to being underpaid.
“Latinos are more likely to apply to a job that accepts them right away,” she said.
Over time, Cardona said, he believes more nonwhite Hispanic people holding bachelor’s degrees will translate to greater representation in positions of power. Once there, Latinos can create pathways for more access and higher-paying positions.
“I am a Latino secretary of education and I know the value of diversity not only with Latinos but with other cultures as well,” Cardona said. “So, there is a greater likelihood that because I’ve experienced it, I am more likely to see the value in people who come with diverse backgrounds.”
However, pay disparities endure.
Latinos in general earn the lowest salaries compared with other races. In 2021, the weekly median wage for a full-time Latino worker was $777 compared with $1,328 for Asians, $1,018 for whites and $801 for African Americans, according to labor bureau data.
Some Rhode Island leaders are looking to reduce the pay disparity and bolster Latino graduation rates.
Betancur said that state education officials need to be “making sure the same people enrolling are graduating,” not accumulating student debt without receiving a degree. She added that representation in the workforce needs to occur at all levels, including in high-level positions.
She pointed to legislation passed last month that created a grant program to provide opportunities for health care paraprofessionals to pursue higher education degrees and professional licenses.
The Ladders to Licensure program is intended to increase the diversity in the health care workforce, Betancur said.
RIC and the Community College of Rhode Island, another designated Hispanic Serving Institution, have been collaborating “to enhance transfer pathways” between the two schools for Latino students, according to Kellie Ann Wright, CCRI director of marketing and communications.
“Having two public institutions designated as [Hispanic Serving Institutions] provides great opportunities to collaborate on academic programming and student support services, and to leverage federal funding opportunities,” Wright said.
The issue has been a focus of the Latino Policy Institute, too.
The institute will be releasing a report in September on the Latino representation in higher education, in addition to exploring how “higher education institutions are thinking about the students,” Betancur said.
With increased support from higher education institutions and the state, Betancur hopes to see increasing graduation rates among the Latino population and better employment opportunities.
“It’s a huge thing that people don’t talk about,” she said.
With reports from Fernanda Figueroa of The Associated Press.
