The Latina/o migrant college student experience

Abstract

With bleak levels of educational attainment in the Latina/o community there is a need to study factors affecting their persistence in higher education. This study examines the experiences of the Latina/o Migrant community as a unique and volatile group due to the myriad of challenges they face. Findings from a mixed method study, one-way ANOVA & one on one interviews, suggest that there are key factors influencing the experience of Latina/o Migrant students. Factors like parental education, religion, high school involvement, language, and faculty involvement amongst others proved to have a significant difference in their experience in higher education. Furthermore, gender, parental support, institutional culture, financial support, diversity, and involvement were all salient factors brought forth by qualitative results. Recommendations were made for early literacy intervention, parental education and orientation, and improved policies and practices to best engage and integrate the Latina/o Migrant community into the college environ.