Examining the Role of Social Capital in Access to College for Latinas: Toward a College Opportunity Framework

Abstract

Using life history research methods, this study sought to understand how relationships with family and school personnel affect postsecondary opportunities for Latina students. The focus is on primary and secondary school experiences of two groups of Latina students and how those experiences influenced their opportunities to pursue postsecondary education. Findings suggest exposure to or accumulation of high or low volumes of social capital or institutional neglect and abuse limits or expands students’ perceived and/or actual opportunities for college.

Building a Multicontextual Model of Latino College Enrollment: Student, School, and State-Level Effects

“…In general, Latino high school students are less likely than others to receive encouragement from school personnel to pursue four-year higher education (Gonzalez, Stoner, & Jovel, 2003;. They are also less likely to enroll in advanced math (Bozick & Lauff, 2007;Gandara & Contreras, 2009;.…”

College Aspirations and Limitations

“…Their underrepresentation in colleges and universities has been influenced not by a lack of academic ability (K. P. Gonzalez, Stone, & Jovel, 2003) but by the rising costs of college, increased standards in admissions criteria, and inadequate secondary education preparation (Auerbach, 2004;Valenzuela, 1999). This struggle is no different for Latino 1 students.…”

Disparities in American Graduate Students’ Tendency to Borrow: Race, Family Background, and Major

“…Indeed, students from different SES backgrounds differ substantially in financial support received (or not) from their families, which directly influences their higher education outcomes (Swartz, 2008). SES is a composition of education level, occupation, and income (Baker, 2014), and research has shown that family social capital, which is closely related to parents' education and occupation, influences students' access to college (Gonzá lez, Stoner, & Jovel, 2003). It is necessary to ask whether parents' education level influences student borrowing beyond the impact of family income.…”