Nothing should ever stop a student who wishes to attend college, from going to college. Whether that be finances or documentation. Nothing should stop you from “soaring to new heights”.
The Long Beach Latino Civic Association has hosted events called Parent Cafe’s or Cafe de Sueños. During these meetings we interviewed participating parents. Based on analysis 90% of them expressed a want for their children to go to college with no idea how to get them through.
One mother expressed her desire for her children, “To be able to have a better life and future since I [their mom] never had the opportunity to study.”
Why did we do all of this research?
Scholarships are mostly given to students that are white/caucasian. About 72% of scholarships go to white students. That leaves 28% for all minorities, African American students, disabled students, queer students, Latino students, and many more.
These 28% of students represent over a third of those who apply. In some cases if 2 students apply for the same scholarship, one student being white and the other being Latino. The white student has a 14.2% chance of getting it, assuming they don't have something that stands out. The other student with all of the same qualifications and the only difference being that the student is Latino, it provides them a 9.1% chance of getting the same scholarship. According to the article Scholarships: Who Gets Them And Why? on npr.org white students are more likely to be involved with sports and that scholarship providers are more likely to give scholarships to those they relate to.