Educational Barriers for Latino Students

(Photo : Educational Barriers for Latino Students)

According to statistics, the college completion rate of Latino students is lower than the rate of US students. The percentage of Latinos who get a Bachelor's degree doesn't exceed 15% of all Latino adults. Why is it so? Are there any factors that prevent students from studying successfully? There are certain educational barriers for Latino students that prevent them from entering higher educational establishments and achieving academic success. Of course, there are those who want to get a degree and go to AdvancedWriters.com when they need help from professional essay writing services online. But the number of such Latino students is still low. Let's outline the main educational barriers below.

Barrier 1: Most Latinos Don't Have a College-Going Culture

One of the barriers is that most Latinos come from families where neither mother nor father graduated from college. Their parents can't share their experience with their children and don't bring up the thought that it's very important to get a high-quality education. Everyone knows how important the role of parents is when a student selects what college to apply for. As for Latino students, few parents can give useful pieces of advice on the topic of education. Most Latinos are first-generation college students who need to do everything on their own. The lack of parental support and advice has a negative impact on the preparatory work for college admission. 

Barrier 2: Many Latinos Think They Can't Afford Higher Education

Unfortunately, Latinos belong to the low socio-economic group. Many families live at the level of poverty and have no idea that they can ask for financial aid when applying for a college. The schools students attend don't have sufficient resources for college preparation. Of course, it is possible to apply for a loan for education. But few Latinos would choose such an option. They don't like getting loans, even if it concerns such an important thing as getting a higher education. There is a program that makes it possible to get financial help, but few families know that it exists and just think that they can't afford to pay for a college education.

Barrier 3: Most Students Can't Speak English Fluently

The language barrier is the most common problem for foreign students all over the world. Most Latinos find it difficult to learn English as the second one. One of the reasons is that they speak their native language at home with their parents and find it challenging to switch from one language to another one. The poor English makes it difficult to understand the material and express thoughts and ideas on the topic. Few students know that they can ask for professional help online from the custom writing service. It is due to the fact that their parents couldn't even imagine that it's possible to hire a custom writing company and have all assignments done quickly.

Barrier 4: Stereotypes Connected to Latino Race

It is hard to understand that almost all students at a college look at you and think that you are just a person from a poor country without a college-going culture. It becomes harder to learn successfully when you don't feel self-confident. Most students don't visit the courses where tutors prepare for college admission. That's why most lack the necessary knowledge and feel that Americans and other students perceive them as academically inferior. 

Barrier 5: The Need for Someone Who Could Guide Them

It is very important to have someone who could give effective tips and prepare for college admission. Latino immigrants are rarely familiar with the American education system. Parents aren't aware of all the nuances and can't give any useful pieces of advice to their children. Many parents don't even understand the significance of higher education nowadays. Latino students lack the support and often give up. Some students need to have some role models to have a desire to follow their way. However, it is difficult to find such models among Latinos. This barrier is about the lack of motivation. They don't know famous Latinos who have graduated from a prestigious college and succeeded in life. There is no example of a person who did his/her best to get higher education in the US despite all the challenges.

Barrier 6: The Lack of Independence and Pressure from Parents

American students are free to choose what college they want to enter and where they want to live. Parents in the US don't mind if their children live somewhere far away from them, understanding how important it is to get a high-quality education. Of course, exceptions exist. But most parents approve of the decision of their kids to apply for colleges, regardless of their geographical location. As for Latino parents, they aren't like this. Most prohibit their children from applying for a college that is far away from the house. They can't imagine that they won't be able to control all the actions of the child. Latino students don't have as much independence as Americans have. It is possible to avoid this barrier if a student entering a college is persistent and explains to parents what he/she does daily. Describing the weekly routine at a college and sharing all the news with parents may be helpful.

Parents worry that the child will go to parties late, plunge into another culture and forget the native one, etc. It may sound selfish, but it isn't the only reason why parents don't allow children to go away. Many Latino families are large, and they need financial support. When a child becomes an adult, he/she must work and help parents survive. Parents who live at or near the poverty level don't want their kids to enter college as they understand that they won't be able to support them financially.

These are the key education barriers for Latino students nowadays. However, the number of those who will get higher education will grow with time as there are many scholarships designed for Latinos, especially.  The more families learn about the possibility of getting financial aid, the more well-educated Latino students will be in the near future. The good news is that there is an opportunity to take part in paid internships that are available thanks to different reliable corporations and governmental programs.