Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges
While extensive research about the college-going experiences of Latina/o students exists, few studies have examined the college-going process of rural Latina/o youth. Understanding the role that rurality plays in Latina/o students’ college-going process is of particular importance to Texas as the state is home to the largest number of rural students in the nation. This study explores the intersection of race/ethnicity and rurality in the college-going process of Latina/o students—an important but often overlooked student population.
In 2019, Latina/o students attending public schools in Texas accounted for 52.6% of the total student population—making them the largest racial/ethnic group in K-12 schools. Despite Latina/o youth continuing to be one of the fastest-growing segments of Texas’ student population, research shows that persistent and serious leaks remain in their educational pipeline. In 2018, only 21% of the Latina/o population, ages 25 and older, had an associate's degree or higher, compared to 47% of white, non-Hispanic adults. To address this gap, the State of Texas launched its 60x30TX strategic plan, which aims to have at least 60% of 25- to 34-year-olds in Texas earn a certificate or degree by 2030. While the policies and practices associated with this plan are a step forward, many are shaped through urbanormative practices and ideologies that do not take into consideration the social processes of rural environments that shape Latina/o youth’s educational opportunities . Understanding the role that rurality plays in students’ education throughout Texas is of particular importance as the state is home to the largest number of rural schools in the United States with approximately 47% of Latina/o students attending these schools.
The purpose of this white paper is to explore how geography shapes the opportunities and experiences of rural Latina/o youth in Texas. Specifically, this paper describes the spatial (in)equities in Texas and explores the college-going experiences of rural Latina/o youth in Texas. Having a better understanding of the spatial (in)equities found throughout Texas and how rural students’ geography shapes their college-going opportunities can allow policymakers and other educational stakeholders to craft policies and interventions that fit the needs of rural communities.
Findings showed that a large proportion of rural youth in Texas come from a Latina/o background (47%), making them a critical student population to understand if Texas wishes to achieve its 60x30TX goals. Rural students' high school-to-college enrollment, in particular, needs greater attention from K-12 schools and districts, policymakers, and higher education institutions with intentional efforts to support their transition into higher education.
Descriptive analysis, for example, showed that while rural students, regardless of background, were graduating high school at higher rates than urban students, they enrolled and graduated college at substantially lower rates when compared to their counterparts. Considering that the percent of the population between the ages of 20-24 is about 7% in both rural and urban areas in Texas, the unequal enrollment trends between rural and urban students cannot be attributed to population demographics. One area of possible explanation is the unequal distribution of educational opportunities among rural communities.
Descriptive findings of rural counties in Texas, in conjunction with student interviews, revealed systematic factors that both constrained and promoted college access and enrollment for rural Latinas/os in Texas. Below are key spatial (in)equities found in rural communities through this research:
The socio-economic conditions appear to be more challenging in rural communities. Rural communities in Texas systemically experienced a higher poverty rate and lower median household income (13.6% and $46,591, respectively) when compared to urban communities (11.8% and $55,665, respectively). Moreover, rural communities had housing vacancy rates that were over double that of urban areas (22.8% and 9.6%, respectively). While rural counties are not monolithic, collectively, findings revealed urban-rural differences that demonstrate spatial stratification unique to rural communities. More specifically, rural areas to have less development and less access to resources and opportunities than urban areas. It is possible that these socio-economic conditions are impacting the decisions and opportunities of rural Latina/o youth in Texas as students are experiencing the college-going process within this context.
The accessibility of college-going information and resources across Texas is not equitable for Latina/o living in rural communities. Descriptive analysis of Texas revealed that a large percentage of school districts (64.8%) are located in rural counties—many of which are geographically dispersed and removed from larger urban areas, greatly bounding and limiting the kind of college-going information and resources accessible to students. During interviews with Latina/o rural students, many students' educational pathways were influenced by their limited access to job and internship opportunities and postsecondary options. For example, during interviews, some students talked about how their lack of formal citizenship status limited their mobility. This was especially a concern for students along the Texas-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) where law enforcement presence has increased over the last few years, making it harder for them to travel, access college resources, and consider colleges outside of their bounded rural region.
Local and regional colleges provide an access point for rural Latina/o communities in Texas. Aligned with the literature on education deserts and college proximity, we found that more colleges and universities were located in urban counties than rural counties in Texas. In 2017, metro areas had 255 higher education institutions (87%), while non-metro areas had 37 (13%). The lack of postsecondary institutions in rural communities meant that many rural schools were often overlooked. Participants shared that they did not always have access to college recruiters outside their geographical location, which signaled to them that they were “outsiders” or not good enough for these academic spaces. Local and regional colleges near rural counties, as a result, played a major role in providing rural students with accessible and affordable educational opportunities.
Spatial inequities in rural areas where Latinas/os live limited students’ access to fast and reliable internet services. Descriptive analysis revealed that rural counties in Texas had less access to broadband internet than urban counties (68.7% and 80.5%, respectively). This limitation was even more present in counties located near the US-Mexico border that have some of the lowest broadband internet access rates. During interviews with rural students, some students described their internet access as "slow" and "unreliable," while others noted the poor-quality connection found across the region. Many students had to travel to public spaces like their school or community library to access the internet in order to complete early college coursework or submit college admissions materials, creating an issue for those without reliable transportation.
