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HSIs represent only 7 percent of all institutions of higher education, but enroll almost half of all Latinos in higher education and serve as a critical pathway for Latinos to attain a quality higher education.

The growth of the Latino community and the projected increase in Latino enrollment present a rare opportunity to examine the choices and pathways Latinos take in higher education and to better understand Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). In the words of Diana Natalicio, president of the University of Texas at El Paso,“To be an HSI is to be at the forefront of change in higher education because of the shift of demographics.We have an opportunity to be trend-setters.”

But, what is a Hispanic-Serving Institution? Why is it that almost half of all Latinos in higher education attend them, yet we understand so little about them?

What is an HSI?
The identification of institutions serving large numbers of Latino students began in the 1980s, but Hispanic-Serving Institutions were not formally recognized at the federal level until 1992. HSIs are defined by their Hispanic student enrollment – not their institutional mission. They are, according to federal legislation, accredited and degree-granting public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with at least 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment (Title V of the Higher Education Act, as amended in 1998).

By this definition, there were 231 institutions that met the criteria of a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2001-02. Additional analysis shows that some of the institutions identified as HSIs have a long history of serving Latino students, while others are only now experiencing an increase in Latino enrollment. However, as a set of institutions, HSIs have some important characteristics, which are summarized below, and the number of them continues to grow.

• HSIs are concentrated in urban areas with large Latino communities.
• HSIs enroll almost half to 87 percent of Latinos in key Latino states.
• HSIs have diverse enrollment.
• The majority of Latino students at HSIs are women.
• HSIs are not selective institutions.
• A large number of HSIs are part of public systems of higher education.
• HSIs are less expensive than other institutions.
• The majority of HSIs are two-year institutions.

Some of these characteristics offer likely reasons as to why almost half (48 percent) of all Latino students enrolled in postsecondary education choose HSIs. Evidently, these 231 institutions uniquely attract Latino students from among more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide. In assessing the significant role HSIs play in educating Latino students, it is useful to know more about these students and discover why they are choosing HSIs.

Latinos are one of the fastest growing groups enrolling in higher education and currently represent 10 percent of students. Beyond this growth, population projections predict a continued increase in the number of eligible Latino students. As a group, Latinos have some important characteristics, summarized below, that either influence or reflect the choices they make in attending.

• Less than 25 percent of college-aged Latinos are enrolled in higher education.
• Latino enrollment is concentrated in a few states.
• Many Latino students enroll part time and at two-year institutions.
• Latino students are less likely to take out loans to pay for college.
• The majority of Latino students enrolled in higher education are women.
• Latino students are less likely to complete college through the traditional path.

Are Latino students choosing to attend HSIs based on their institutional characteristics, or are the large numbers of Latino students enrolling at HSIs influencing the profile of these schools? This is the classic “chicken or egg” dynamic. Initial analysis suggests several interrelated factors are impacting Latinos’ attendance at HSIs. The combination of student and family knowledge of higher education, proximity to home, affordability and institutional outreach influences great numbers of Latinos choosing HSIs. Analysis also shows that Latino students don’t enroll in large numbers at selective institutions. HSIs are generally not selective institutions.

Given the marked preference Latino students demonstrate for HSIs, it’s important to assess how these institutions serve Latino students. Covered last month in The Hispanic Outlook, the project, Latino Student Success at HSIs, examined the data, leadership and institutional practices of six public baccalaureategranting HSIs in California, Texas and New York, and produced an inquiry model that can help other institutions evaluate their impact on Latino students. Now, with support from the Ford Foundation, Excelencia in Education will work with these same institutions to study why students are enrolling at HSIs. Results will be available next year.We will soon release a report that examines the role that Hispanic-Serving Institutions play in the education of Latino students.

Next month’s Excelencia column will include the expert opinions of educational professionals on why HSIs are the colleges of first choice for Latino students.

Reprinted with permission from The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education Magazine®, Vol. 15 #7, December 27, 2004. For more information, visit http://www.HispanicOutlook.com