Paul Dosal, Ph.D.Ana T. TorresAyala

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How to Bridge the Gap between Latino Students
Reality and Their Dreams 2008 Conference in
Orlando, FLJuly 6-9, 2008

• Paul Dosal, Ph.D. Ana T. Torres-Ayala
• (pdosal_at_enlace.usf.edu) (atorres_at_enlace.usf.edu)
• Executive Director Graduate Research Associate
• ENLACE FLORIDA
• University of South Florida

Session No. 23
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Agenda

• ENLACE Florida
• Achievement Trap
• Need-based aid (Pell Grants)
• Merit-based aid (Bright Futures)
• Policy Implications

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ENLACE Florida

• ENLACE ENgaging Latino, African-American
  Other Communities for Education
• MISSION to promote college readiness, access,
  and success for all underrepresented students

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ENLACE Strategies

• Non-partisan research
• To inform Floridas education policy debate
• Communication
• Opening lines of communication statewide
• Advocacy
• On behalf of Floridas underrepresented students
• Support
• All organizations dedicated to improving public
  education in Florida

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ENLACE FL History

• In Phase 1
• 18 higher education institutions
• one-year planning grants of 100,000 each
• Goal respond to the needs of students and
  families by developing action plans based on best
  practices as well as local contexts.
• Phase 2
• community-focused initiative
• sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• part of a 5 year grant to the University of South
  Florida partnering with Hillsborough Community
  College, the Hispanic Services Council and the
  School District of Hillsborough County 
• Goal increase the number of Latinos obtaining
  college degrees and to overcome barriers that
  keep Latinos from pursuing higher education

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Phase III

• Formed in 2006 by USF, FAU, FIU, and UCF
• Funded by a 1.4 million grant from the W.K.
  Kellogg Foundation through the National Council
  for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP)
• Composed of six clusters
• led by a member university,
• in partnership with community colleges, school
  districts, community organizations, students, and
  parents.
• Closely aligned with Florida Governors Access
  and Diversity Initiative which is intended to
  improve higher education access and success for
  students from previously under-served
  populations.

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ENLACE FL Network
Jacksonville Cluster (Future Expansion)
Gainesville Cluster (2008 Expansion)
Tallahassee Cluster (2008 Expansion)
Orlando Cluster
Tampa Cluster
Miami Cluster
Ft. Lauderdale/ West Palm Beach Cluster
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Rationale

• By 2030
• Floridas Hispanic population is projected to be
  6.3 million
• an increase from 2.6 million in 2000
• Floridas African American population is
  projected to be 4.2 million
• an increase from 2.3 million in 2000
• Latinos and African-Americans will constitute 42
  of Floridas population

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Rationale (cont.)

• In the 25 year period from 1977 to 2003, Hispanic
  public K-12 enrollment increased over 462 and
  African-American enrollment increased 77
• By 2014, blacks and Hispanics will account for
  50 of Floridas high school graduates.

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ENLACE Initiatives

• Early literacy
• Readiness
• Parental involvement
• Governance
• Best-practices
• Remediation
• Need-based financial aid

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Latino Students Realities and Dreams
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Latino College Students

• More likely to be 1st generation college students
• A recent poll found that Californias Latino
  parents are significantly more likely than white
  or black parents to see college preparation as
  the main purpose of public schooling

Source Public Policy Institute Of California.
(2008) Californians education. URL
http//www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_408MBS.p
df
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Latino College Students (cont.)

• Only 25 of college-age Latinos (18-24 year-olds)
  were enrolled in college
• 42 of whites, 32 of blacks, and about 60 of
  Asian/Pacific Islanders
• Latinos were more likely to be independent
  students with dependents (31) than all
  undergraduates (27).

Source Santiago, D.A.(2007). Voces (Voices) A
profile of todays Latino college students.
Excelencia in Education, URL http//edexcelencia.
org/pdf/Voces2007.pdf
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Latino College Students (cont.)

• Enrolled
• in a public two-year institution
• were less likely to receive some form of
  financial aid
• in institutions with relatively low tuition and
  fees
• part-time

Sources Santiago, D.A. Cunningham, A.F. (2005)
How Latino Students Pay for College. Excelencia
in Education. URL http//www.edexcelencia.org/pdf
/LSA_eng.pdf
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Latinos and Financial Aid

• Average federal aid award 5,415,
• Whites 6,230, African Americans 6,145,
  Asians 5,995
• 80 of Latino parents and 74 of college-age
  Latinos did not cite loans as possible sources of
  financial aid
• Less likely to take out loans than whites, blacks
  and undergraduates in general (29.8)

Sources Excelencia in Education. Fact Sheet -
How Latinos Pay for College Patterns of
Financial Aid (2003-04).URL http//www.edexcelenc
ia.org/pdf/LSA_fact_sheet_bi.pdf Most Latino
students spurn college loans, LA Times. Reprint
URL http//www.edexcelencia.org/pdf/LATimes-Latin
osSpurnLoans-107.pdf
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Latino Students Dreams vs. their Realities

• Barriers faced by Latino and low-income students
• Misperceptions of affordability of higher ed
• Lack of knowledge about financial aid
• Complex aid eligibility system
• Less available aid for community college
  transfers
• Language barriers

Source College Board. (2007). The College Keys
Compact. Getting ready, getting in, and getting
through college Expanding options for low-income
students. URL http//professionals.collegeboard.c
om/profdownload/final-report.pdf
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Latino Students Dreams vs. their Realities
(cont.)

• this year alone due to record-high financial
  barriers, nearly one-half of all
  college-qualified, low- and moderate-income high
  school graduates will be unable to do so" --
  Advisory Committee on Student Financial
  Assistance (2002)

Source Advisory Committee on Student Financial
Assistance. (2002). Empty promises The myth of
college access in America. URL
http//www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/emptypr
omises.pdf
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Financial Aid
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Need-Based Aid
Florida
Sources NASSGAP - National Association of
State Student Grant Aid Programs Annual Survey
Query Tool, URLhttp//www.nassgap.org/customquery/
CQB01ListQueries.aspx Florida Department of
Education, End-of-Year Report, 2005-2006
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Other Lottery Funded Need-based Aid Programs
Source NASSGAP 37th Annual Survey Report on
State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, URL
http//www.nassgap.org/viewrepository.aspx?categor
yID3
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Merit-based aid in Florida

• Merit-based scholarship program funded by the
  lottery est. 1997
• Academic Scholars 100 tuition for students with
  a 3.5 GPA 1270 SAT or 28 ACT
• Medallion Scholars 75 tuition for students with
  3.0 GPA 970 SAT or 20 ACT

Source FL Department of Education, Office of
Student Financial Assistance, URL
http//www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/fa
ctsheets/BF.htm
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Merit-based aid in Florida (cont.)
Over 140,000 students received Bright Futures
awards in 2005-06
Source Florida Department of Education,
End-of-Year Report, 2005-2006
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Net Effect of Lottery Funding

• Lower SES households
• Buy more lottery tickets
• Less likely to receive any type of scholarship
• Net program loss 700
• Higher SES households
• Spend less on lottery tickets
• More likely to get scholarship
• Net program benefit 2,200
• Source Stranahan, H.A Borg, M.O. (2004). Some
  Futures are Brighter than Others The Net
  Benefits Received by Florida Bright Futures
  Scholarship Recipients. Public Finance Review,
  31, 105-126.

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The Value of Bright Futures
A student who receives the Academic Scholars
Award (the highest Bright Futures Award) would
find that the award covers less than 23 of the
total cost of attending FAU, FIU, UCF, or USF.
Sources http//www.flbog.org/TuitionandFees/Excel
/2007-08Fees.xls and university websites
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Policy Implications

• It is NECESSARY to increase NEED-BASED AID, not
  just keep state-tuition rates low
• Students without demonstrable financial need
  receive state funding.
• 23 of Bright Futures recipients attending the
  University of Florida reported family incomes of
  more than 150,000

Source Dosal, P. (2007). Tuition, Access, and
Affordability in Florida. ENLACE Florida. URL
http//usfweb2.usf.edu/EnlaceFl/TuitionAccessAffor
dability.pdf
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Policy Options

• Decouple Bright Futures from tuition
• Change eligibility requirements
• increase academic requirements
• require applicants to fill out the FAFSA
• Add a need-based component
• Shift savings to need-based aid programs
• Florida Student Assistance Grant
• First Generation Matching Grant

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But what about

• Changes will affect underrepresented students,
  but should be offset by increase in need-based
  aid

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Questions? Comments?

• Paul Dosal, Ph.D.
• (pdosal_at_enlace.usf.edu)
• Ana T. Torres-Ayala
• (atorres_at_enlace.usf.edu)

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