According to U.S. Census data, just 17% of Hispanics in the San Antonio Metropolitan Area have a bachelor’s degree, well under half the rate of degree attainment for San Antonio’s white and Asian population.
San Antonio’s Black population falls in between, but is also less likely to have a college degree.
Despite years of targeted efforts to close the gap, disparities in higher education degree attainment remain largely unchanged.
In partnership with Texas Public Radio, a recent survey found that Black and Hispanic students were more likely to encounter financial obstacles than white students, and more likely to be economically affected by the pandemic.
What are the other important takeaways from the recent survey of more than 2,600 San Antonio-area students?
Why is the degree attainment gap so wide in San Antonio? What can be done to close it? What has been tried so far and why weren't those efforts more successful?
What are the biggest obstacles to degree attainment? What are the long-term implications?
What can the rest of the country can learn from the Latino college gap in San Antonio?
Guests:
- Camille Phillips, Texas Public Radio education reporter and host of the limited-series podcast "The Enduring Gap"
- Vanessa Sansone, Ph.D., assistant professor of higher education in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Monday, January 31.