Heisdorf / ACT Center for Equity in Learning / September 2019
The transition from high school to college can be a nerve-wracking process for any student, but some students may face more obstacles than other students along their journey. Hispanic students currently make up roughly 18 percent of all college students and are one of the largest minority groups at universities nationwide. However, based on previous ACT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks, Hispanic high school students tend to score lower than their White counterparts. Further, Hispanic students have lower rates of educational attainment than their peers. Hispanic students may face added barriers in navigating the landscape of applying to college and the steps that go along with it; these barriers include lack of parental knowledge about the process, underfunding in schools for appropriate testing or academic preparedness, and financial instability, to name a few.
