NRCCUA NEWS! -

(Lee’s Summit, MO)— African-American and Latino high school students’ college choice is more influenced than that of white students by the present state of the U.S. economy, according to a recent survey released today by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) and Maguire Associates.

A group of 1,832 junior and senior high school students was asked: "How will the current state of the economy influence your college choice?"

African-American and Latino students were nearly 50 percent more likely than their white counterparts to say that the current state of the economy would have an impact on their choice of which college to attend. The following are the breakdowns of the students who said the economy would have at least a “moderate” affect on their decision:

• 68% of African-American students
• 67% of Latino/Hispanic students
• 46% of Caucasian/white students
• 54% of all students polled

"Financing higher education for students is a challenge many families face, especially those in disadvantaged minority populations," said Don Munce, President of NRCCUA, which conducts a survey of millions of high school students annually helping to link these students with colleges and universities. "This study shows that most minority students realize that some options for their higher education are related to the economy’s impact on family financing, while over half the Caucasian students don’t."

"This also raises questions about whether minority students will be looking more at public versus private colleges and universities due to cost and whether for some, they may be forgoing college altogether due to financial factors," said Munce.

"Our research has frequently indicated that underserved minority populations tend to be quite pragmatic about their college decisions, more critically determining the value of their higher educational options," said Paul Gearan, Director of Research for Maguire Associates, a higher-education research and consulting firm.

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NRCCUA
The NRCCUA Post-Secondary Planning Survey® is administered by secondary school educators and voluntarily completed by high schools students. By indicating their educational preferences and interests, colleges and universities are able to provide students with information that matches their unique needs. Because the service is free-of-charge to high school students – unlike other sources – it is especially valuable to minority and first-generation college students interested in higher education.

Maguire Associates
Founded in 1983, Maguire Associates of Bedford, Mass., has worked with over 350 educational institutions worldwide. The firm has established itself as a leader in enrollment management, strategic pricing and financial aid, institutional marketing, image and communications, and strategic planning. For more information, visit www.maguireassoc.com.