SOCIAL CAPITAL, COLLEGE CHOICE, AND COLLEGE PERSISTENCE OF HISPANICS: A CASE OF A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

The purpose of this research study is to identify the social capital factors that help Hispanics in their decision to attend a Predominantly White Institution (henceforth PWI) and those social capital factors that are significant in their college persistence. College persistence is defined as returning a second year and beyond. This case study uses a mixed methodology, specifically an explanatory sequential method. First, a cross-sectional, online survey was sent to participants who self-identified as Hispanics and who were currently enrolled during the spring of 2015 (N=365). The survey was followed-up by four individual semi-structured interviews. The target population is undergraduate Hispanic students who are 18 years old and who are attending the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)