Abstract
Of every 100 Latino kindergarten children, only 11 of those Latino children will obtain at least a bachelor’s degree. Currently, Latinos are the fastest growing non-dominate ethnic group in the United States, as well as the ethnic group with the lowest level of formal education. The bachelor’s degree attainment gap is currently extremely wide, only 10% of Latinos have a bachelor’s degree versus 34% of Caucasians and 54% of Asian Americans. As a result, the Latino population is overrepresented among the poor with about a third of families living below the poverty level. The lack of Latinos obtaining a higher education is a subject of widespread concern. The absence of an education will impede this large group from contributing to the long-term economic health of the United States. Thus, it is imperative to increase the rate of Latinos in higher education by identifying the protective factors that contribute to Latino students’ academic success.