College enrollment has long been lacking among Latinos, an ethnic group whose presence on campuses nationwide has stubbornly lagged behind its rapid population growth. Last week, however, the Pew Hispanic Research center found that Latinos were finally closing the gap, topping all other ethnic and racial groups with a 24 percent hike in matriculation between 2009 and 2010.
The census-based finding sent an encouraging signal to a group whose status as the most populous minority has finally translated into the classroom. But it did not come without a dark cloud of caveats hanging in the distance.
Chief among them are cuts to community colleges, which have accounted for much of Latinos’ progress. Like so many institutions of higher education, these colleges have been forced to swallow stomach-churning cuts to class sizes, course offerings and the like. For community colleges, that means cutting enrollments at a time of high demand. And, for Latinos especially, that means trouble.
The census numbers brought into high relief Latinos’ reliance on the community college system. Latino college students enrolled last October were almost evenly split between two- and four-year colleges. Meanwhile, about three quarters of white and Asian students attended four-year colleges, as did 63 percent of young blacks.
Though the 24 percent increase was the highest of all groups, Latinos remain at the bottom in another measure: the share of the group enrolled in college. Even after a relatively diminutive population increase, only 32 percent of Latinos between ages 18 and 24 were enrolled in 2010, compared to 38 percent of black youths, 43 percent of whites and 62 percent of Asians.
Together, these findings point to the necessity of community colleges, which have seen steep cuts of late. These cuts, though a sad reality given the economic climate, should be minimized in the short term and made up for in the long term.
In North Carolina, a 10.7 percent cut to community colleges could not have come at a worse time. Many of the thousands to flood campuses have been waitlisted or unable to register due to a lack of space and resources. Part-time lecturers and staff have been laid off.
At Robeson Community College, that meant turning away 178 prospective students in a year when an enrollment of 2,750 nearly set a record. “It has been the toughest year in my over 30 years of community college business,” said Charles Chrestman, the college’s president.
Raleigh’s Wake Technical Community College actually received additional state funding to account for 10 percent enrollment growth since last year, but that fell short of what was needed. This year, 6,400 students have been waitlisted for at least one class. About 1,000 have been unable to register at all.
