As the largest ethnic and racial minority in the country, the Latino demographic of the United States is a main contributor to population growth seen in recent years. Given this influx, enrollment rates of Latino youth have likewise increased, according to data from the US Census Bureau.

The number of Hispanic students enrolled in schools doubled from 8.8 million to 17.9 million between 1996 and 2016. However, these high enrollment rates do not always indicate high success rates. The Early Care and Education for All initiative, for example, was initially supposed to help mitigate the financial burden on families, until it was challenged before fund allocation could even begin. Young Latinos are subject to even more challenges come graduation, which puts a roadblock on their abilities and hard-earned diplomas.

Troubling statistics
The Education Department reports that Latinos who graduate within six years of starting college are still 10 percent behind white students who manage to graduate in the same time frame. Latinos who graduate within four years experience further disadvantages, falling behind by as much as 14 percent.

As a result, a number of Latinos are left with meager low- to middle-wage earning jobs since the number of educated workers cannot meet the demand for high-skilled job vacancies. Many of today’s young Latinos live in large overcrowded households and could be the first of their family to have ever pursued higher education. Unfortunately this also makes them more likely to drop out.

In a 2017 opinion piece published in the University Star—the student-run newspaper at Texas State University—“machismo” in Latino culture was recognized as a reason for why Latino men are more likely to remain distracted from their studies and more pressured to drop out to provide for their families, even if this means doing menial work.

Meanwhile, women struggle between opposing demands. Moreover, while seeking higher education is a noble feat, they remain a few steps behind their classmates who have had stable educational backgrounds since the beginning of preschool.

Fostering success
Schools are like a microcosm of the rest of society, and as such, could be a breeding ground for prejudice and discrimination. Faculties and student bodies tend to be whitewashed, and racial slurs remain spoken and vandalized onto school property. As the number of Latinos in the United States grows, the amount of Latinos pursuing higher education will continue to.

In many ways it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how Maryville University President Dr. Mark Lombardi emphasizes the correlation between student success and education. However, this education must see institutional change with more diverse faculty and bilingual counselors to make Latinos students feel welcomed and empowered.

From the onset of recruitment, schools like Salem State University in Massachusetts have started giving information sessions for immigrant parents in their native language. Scholarships have also been created for Latino students.

A concerted effort
It’s not enough to simply leave things as they are. If schools make more concerted efforts for inclusivity, then perhaps it is then that we will see higher success rates among our Latino youth. Not doing so could mean wasted potential for the next generation of scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and every other profession and skillset that could otherwise contribute greatly to our society.