What Students Need
In order to pursue postsecondary education students need to be able to navigate a complex path. They must know what tests to take, what courses will prepare them for college-level work, how the application process works, and how to finance a college education. Horn and Nunez (2000) found that students who will be the first in their families to go to college fell far behind their peers vis-à-vis college planning and other activities, such as taking high level math courses that contribute to college enrollment. A literature review by The Education Resources Institute (2004) found that low-income, first-generation, and minority students have limited access to both information about college and guidance. They lack the “college knowledge” needed to prepare effectively and this lack of information is made worse by these students limited access to technology.
Because they lack accurate information, many students have misperceptions about college. According to a June 2006 report issued by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, while 98 percent of Latino students surveyed felt it was important to go to college, they did not feel that the benefits of college would outweigh the costs. Many participants overestimated the cost of college; most did not know the actual cost of attending California colleges; and they lacked information about government grants for education (Zarate & Pachon, 2006). The Education Resources Institute suggests that this information should be conveyed to students and their families starting as early as the fifth grade, when important steps regarding course selection and other indicators of future college readiness are being decided (Vargas, 2004).
In addition to information, to attend college students must have the academic skills to succeed once enrolled. Forster (2006) asserts that the biggest barrier to college education is weak or inadequate academic preparation. Of those Latino students who graduate high school, a large number leave grossly under-prepared for the demands of college. Programs are helping students to improve their academic skills through a variety of instructional methods. In addition, adults and peers in a student’s social support network can offer counseling regarding course selection, give advice on study habits, show interest in students’ achievements, and coach students in completing academic tasks. In a study of approximately 300 Latino adolescents, Alfaro, Umana-Taylor and Bamaca (2006) found that these kinds of academic support have a positive effect on academic motivation.
