Latinos in higher education

In a city in which 36% of our public school population is Latino, the survey results released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center merit real notice.
Of those surveyed, a majority spoke of the importance of higher education, but when it comes to getting that education, markedly fewer succeed in getting it or even planning on getting it.
The study points up the large number of students who describe needing to support family as a reason for leaving school before getting a college degree. There also have been some various articles recently on the gap between getting to college (or into college) and having what you need to succeed there. This isn't always academic; it can be about filling out financial aid forms, getting what you need for dorm rooms, having what you need in the way of supplies.

I've just finished reading The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test by Linda F. Nathan, the principal of the Boston Arts Academy. I'll be posting at greater length on what she describes, but she talks of having students who are unable to get a form signed, or coming up with the admission fee. There can be very small things which are enough to keep a person out of college who otherwise could get there and succeed there. We need to figure out how to keep those stumbling blocks out of the way of our kids.