Four year college access for undocumented Latino students

2013-04-05This qualitative study explored how undocumented Latino immigrants navigated the educational pipeline to accomplish their goal of pursuing postsecondary studies. Eight (4 male and 4 female) undocumented Latino immigrants participated in in-depth qualitative interviews in which they answered questions about their educational experiences leading up to their enrollment in college. Participants were drawn from university campuses in the state of California. Study findings were reviewed in the context of research in the areas of social capital and college access. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers faced by undocumented Latino immigrants in their pursuit of higher education and what factors made it possible for this population to enroll in four-year colleges/universities directly after high school graduation. Four findings emerged from this study: schools do an inadequate job of academic advisement for undocumented students, institutional agents were sources of support and assistance for undocumented students, all stakeholders represented lack of knowledge, and counselors were not the only individuals who provided access to college. This new knowledge will ideally assist educators and other interested individuals in becoming more informed about the plight of underrepresented groups of students who aspire to attend college