Opening the Door to the American Dream: Increasing Higher Education Access and Success for Immigrants

A new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy

A Forum — April 13, 2007                                                                    

 

• Immigrants age 18-24 were 19% less likely than their native-born peers to have graduated from high school.

• Immigrants make up 12% of the undergraduate population – a percentage comparable to students with disabilities, Hispanic students, and Black students.

• Only 23 % of immigrant undergraduates who started college in 1995 completed a bachelor’s degree after five years.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has recently released a report, Opening the Door to the American Dream: Increasing Higher Education Access and Success for Immigrants, that identifies systemic barriers preventing legal immigrants from enrolling in and/or completing college and provides recommendations to assist the growing number of legal immigrants in the United States. This report also reflects a key aspect of IHEP’s research agenda—a focus on groups that have been overlooked in higher education policy discussions.

Wendy Erisman, Ph.D., Senior Research Analyst and Director of Evaluation at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, discussed the importance of studying legal immigrants in higher education because they represent a substantial segment of the U.S. population as well as of the undergraduate population in higher education. Specifically, legal immigrants play a crucial role in the American workforce and the immigrant population is rising. In 2005, 15% of the civilian labor force was comprised of immigrant workers. Over 1 million immigrants became legal permanent residents and over 600,000 others became naturalized American citizens. Furthermore, immigrants earn approximately 25% less and are commonly employed in the service industry, factory work, construction, and farming. Erisman explained that “higher education is a way for immigrants to gain job skills and thus gain the ability to earn higher paying jobs.” Erisman went on to discuss systemic barriers that not only prevent immigrants from pursuing higher education but also lead to lower high school graduation rates when compared to their native-born peers. This educational pattern varied by race and year of entry into the United States with some immigrant groups less likely to enroll in college than others. For example, “Latino immigrants and immigrants who came to the U.S. during their teenage years had the lowest rates of high school graduation and college enrollment among immigrants ages 18-24.”  Erisman concluded that, without access to higher education, immigrants will be less able to compete in the U.S. workforce and will be less able to contribute to the U.S. economy.

The report identifies five barriers to higher education for legal immigrants:

• Financial Need. As immigrants are more likely to be living in poverty, paying for college presents a barrier to higher education access for immigrants. Erisman explained that immigrant undergraduates have more unmet financial need and incur more out-of-pocket expenses than the average undergraduate student.

• Inadequate academic preparation. Immigrants come from very different educational backgrounds, and some may have come from countries that offer limited educational opportunities.

• Lack of “college knowledge.” Immigrants may not be familiar with the U.S. educational system and may not have access or know where to get access to information about college admissions and financial aid processes.

• Work and family responsibilities. Immigrants spend more time meeting family obligations than do their native-born peers. In addition, immigrants may be sending money to family members in their home countries, which adds additional responsibility and financial burden.

• Limited English proficiency. Immigrants who arrive in the U.S. as a teenager or adult may need to gain English skills before they are able to enroll and succeed in college classes.

Despite these barriers, immigrants represent 12% of the undergraduate college population. Many undergraduate immigrants are non-traditional students who delayed entry into college after high school, attend college part-time, support dependents, and/or enroll more frequently in community colleges or for-profit institutions. Immigrant students are less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree but slightly more likely to earn an associate’s degree or certificate than their native-born peers.

The report also examines differences among immigrant groups. Factors such as income, age at time of immigration, and region of origin played a role in the likelihood of college enrollment and completion. Lower-income immigrants, those arriving in the U.S. as teenagers, and immigrants from Latin America are less likely to enroll in and complete college. Erisman added that these factors can also interact so that “among immigrants age 13-19, those from Latin America seem to face the highest barriers.”

Erisman briefly discussed the three states—California, New York, and Georgia—that were presented as case studies in the report. California has the largest immigrant population in the nation with the majority of immigrants from Latin America. In New York, immigrants make up 21% of the state population and come from a wide range of countries. Erisman explained that the diversity of immigrants in New York creates a challenging English as a Second Language (ESL) issue. Georgia’s immigrants make up only 9% of the state’s population, but during the 1990s, the immigrant population grew by 200%, resulting in a need for new educational policies.

In conclusion, Erisman discussed possible policy solutions emerging from their study. These include increasing federal and state grant aid and assuring that legal permanent residents be eligible for all Title IV (of the Higher Education Act) financial aid programs including the Academic Competitiveness Grants and SMART Grants, which are currently limited to American citizens. She added that state, local, and institutional college access programs can provide much needed information to immigrants and that Federal TRIO programs “can do more to offer specific assistance to immigrants through [additional] training for TRIO staff members.”  In addition, ESL classes can be expensive and difficult to locate, and therefore Erisman recommends that the federal government provide adult education block grants to states in order to help train ESL teachers and supply ESL classes. Finally, increased funding at all levels is needed for programs that help immigrants, particularly teenagers, adjust to life in the United States.

Margie McHugh, Co-Director, National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy at the Migration Policy Institute brought attention to the growing numbers of immigrants in the U.S. and where they are settling. McHugh explained that immigrants are “no longer a six or seven state issue.”  Between 2000 and 2005, 12 states reported 30% or more growth in their immigrant populations. Interestingly, immigrants are no longer settling in just metropolitan areas, but immigrants are also settling in rural areas, which are less prepared to handle the influx of immigrant students.

The growth of limited English proficient (LEP) learners has rapidly increased by more than 200% in many states. McHugh discussed the growth of K-12 LEP enrollment with respect to total K-12 enrollment and showed that while LEP enrollment is rising, total enrollment is relatively flat. California, North Carolina, and Colorado were highlighted to demonstrate the amount of growth that has occurred between 2000 and 2005. Because school funding is directly associated with total enrollment, schools are not receiving more money despite the increase in LEP enrollment. Without additional funds, McHugh contended that there is a lack of funds for programs needed to assist LEP students.

McHugh cited several pipeline problems within state and local capacity. With the lack of proper ESL teacher preparation and training, there is no pipeline for teachers to become ESL trained or certified. Curriculum alignment is also an issue for teachers and LEP students. With no formal alignment, immigrant students find themselves in courses that may not match their educational background or skills. McHugh stated that schools and teachers should also be able to adapt curriculum of mainstream courses for LEP students. Assessment, testing, and parental involvement are also factors that are impacted by language barriers.           

                         

Overall immigrant children represent 20% of all U.S. children in K-12 enrollment. McHugh briefly discussed the amount of attention that “unauthorized migrants” have received. Despite the fact that 70% of all immigrants are legal permanent residents, naturalized citizens, legal temporary residents or refugees, McHugh explains that legal immigrants have received a relatively small amount of attention.

Deborah Santiago, Ph.D., Vice President for Policy and Research for Excelencia in Education discussed the importance of the report given the lack of attention that legal immigrants have received in higher education policy. She explained that there has been a focus on illegal or undocumented students despite the fact that they make up a very small portion of the immigrant population. Santiago expressed the importance of the report because a majority of Hispanic high school dropouts are immigrants. Excelencia in Education aims to accelerate higher education success for Latino students.

Santiago believes that limited resources need to be targeted towards populations in need. By recognizing immigrants as a target population, needed resources can be directed to help immigrants have access to higher education. Santiago asserted that intentionality is a key factor in helping engage immigrant students. She explains that “if you don’t say [this is for you], they don’t think you’re talking about them.”  In addition, Santiago discussed the need for a transparent financial aid process as well as the need for more ESL classes.                     

Highlights from Question and Answer Session

When asked if there were similar findings on African immigrants as Latin American immigrants, Erisman responded that African immigrants were among the most educated of all the immigrant populations in this study but that many immigrants have already earned college degrees before coming to this country. She noted that, because of data limitations, their study uses the immigrant category of “Black,” which also includes immigrants from the Caribbean who may have less education than African immigrants. Erisman added that Black immigrant college students in the U.S. are more likely to earn associate’s degrees and certifications than bachelor’s degrees.

Additional questions were raised on whether research identified what academic or other skills are needed to prevent immigrants from dropout out. Erisman pointed out that there is no single answer to what is lacking and that the needs of legal immigrants differ by region of origin and income as well as a number of other factors. Because of the variability, these issues must be dealt with in local context. McHugh added that another factor of immigrant dropout is that there is a lack of articulation between different systems of education.

 

Presenters Bios

Wendy Erisman, Ph.D., is senior research analyst and director of evaluation for the Institute for Higher Education Policy.  In this role, she directs all of the Institute’s evaluation projects, works with clients to determine project goals and resources, and supervises the research work of junior staff members.  

Erisman is the principal author of several of the Institute’s acclaimed research studies, including Opening the Door to the American Dream: Increasing Higher Education Access and Success for Immigrants; Learning to Reduce Recidivism: A 50-State Study of Postsecondary Correctional Education Policy; and Expanding Access and Opportunity: The Impact of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.  She also manages several major evaluation projects for the Institute—including a multi-year nationwide evaluation of the College Goal Sunday financial aid access program—and serves as project director for the Institute’s new role as manager of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s research and evaluation program for its two major scholarship initiatives.

Erisman frequently serves as a key presenter at conferences and events.  Recent speaking engagements include Cornell University’s Institute for Community College Development; the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ College Goal Sunday Forum; the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice Prisoner Reentry Institute; and the Pell Institute’s Student Financial Aid Research Network. 

Prior to working at the Institute, Erisman was a faculty member at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.  She received her doctorate in cultural anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, where her research focused on organizational cultures.

Deborah A. Santiago, Ph.D., is the Vice President for Policy and Research at Excelencia in Education and brings her extensive experience in education policy and research to the challenge of accelerating Latino student success.  As an analyst at the U.S. Department of Education she led components of the Department’s reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, participated in several evaluations of national programs, and was responsible for developing the agency’s initial budget for student financial aid programs. As Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Deborah worked with federal agencies to evaluate how their programs served Latinos and produced multiple reports on the status of Latinos in education, including primary author of “Creating the Will: Hispanics Achieving Educational Excellence.”

Her current research focuses on accountability, institutional practices, and Latinos in higher education. Recent publications include the policy report, “How Latinos Pay for College: Patterns of Financial Aid,” and “California Policy Options for Accelerating Latino Student Success in Higher Education.” Deborah has a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in urban affairs, and a doctorate degree in education policy.

 

Margie McHugh is the Co-Director of the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy at the Migration Policy Institute.

The Center is a national hub for leaders in government, community affairs, business, and academia to obtain the knowledge and skills they need to respond to the challenges and opportunities that today’s high rates of immigration pose for local communities across the United States.

The Center provides in-depth research, policy analysis, technical assistance, training, leadership development, and information resource services on a broad range of immigrant integration issues.  Key areas that are the focus of the Center’s work this year include PreK-12 education; English literacy and workplace skills development; and the involvement of state and local governments in efforts to regulate the settlement of immigrants in their communities, including the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Prior to joining MPI, Ms. McHugh served for 15 years as the executive director of The New York Immigration Coalition, an umbrella organization for over 150 groups in New York that uses research, policy development, and community mobilization efforts to achieve landmark integration policy and program initiatives.  During her time with the NYIC, Ms. McHugh oversaw research, writing, and publication of over a dozen reports dealing with issues such as the quality of education services provided to immigrant students in New York’s schools; the lack of availability of English classes for adult immigrants; the voting behavior of foreign-born citizens; and barriers faced by immigrants seeking to access health and mental health services.

Prior to joining the NYIC, Ms. McHugh served as deputy director of New York City’s 1990 Census Project and as the executive assistant to NYC Mayor Koch’s chief of staff.  She is the recipient of dozens of awards recognizing her successful efforts to bring diverse constituencies together and tackle tough problems, including the prestigious Leadership for a Changing World award.  She has served as a member and officer on the boards of directors for both the National Immigration Forum and Working Today; on the editorial board of Migration World Magazine; and has held appointive positions in a variety of New York City and State commissions, most notably the Commission on the Future of the City University of New York and the New York Workers’ Rights Board.

Ms. McHugh is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and is a frequent commentator on immigration and immigrant integration issues in both local and national news media.

 

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