No one ever told Irais Vargas she couldn't attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
But no one told her how she could, either.
As a high school senior in 2003, Irais, the oldest child and first high school graduate in her Latino family, didn't know anything about scholarships or financial aid - she didn't even know either existed.
``I didn't think about scholarships really,'' Irais said. ``I didn't know they were out there, and I didn't know that that could have been a way for me to attend UNL.''
And neither did her parents.
They wanted her to further her education. But her mom, an employee at a Tyson Foods meat packing plant in Madison, didn't speak English and didn't know what a college credit was - let alone a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.
Irais had enough academic talent for UNL - just not enough help getting there.
Which is unfortunate, as the 17-year-old Latina student with a 3.0 GPA likely would have qualified for both state and federal aid as well as a slew of scholarships, including merit-based, need-based and ethnicity-based.So, she did what she knew how to do - attend the affordable and nearby Northeast Community College after graduating from Madison High School.
Irais is part of two growing groups in Nebraska. The first consists of Nebraskan Hispanics - between 1990 and 2004, the state's Hispanic population exploded by 220 percent. The second is Hispanic students who don't come to UNL.
While the university's population of Hispanic students has increased, it doesn't parallel the state's rise - the number of Hispanic students on campus has grown by 104.5 percent in the past five years, the furthest back UNL's Institutional Research could trace.
With nearly every university official stressing the importance of diversity at UNL, the Daily Nebraskan wondered what the problem was.
If the surrounding pool of Hispanic high-school graduates is growing, why is it taking UNL so long to reflect such diversity?
The issue is complex for many reasons, which the Daily Nebraskan will explore in a weeklong series by profiling five Hispanic students as they transition from high school to college.
What the newspaper found, though, wasn't a complete failure on UNL's part. It's not that UNL's Office of Admissions isn't trying to recruit students from Nebraska's growing population of Hispanics. The problem is that many of those students either can't afford to go to UNL or don't meet admission requirements - or both.
UNL officials say they are addressing the state's booming Hispanic population and making strides in many aspects of Hispanic recruitment. But no matter how hard UNL tries to bring Hispanics to campus, they can only do so much.
A number of obstacles stand in the way of the university's drive for diversity, and to overcome them, experts say it's going to take a statewide effort.
And that effort needs to start now, because in 12 years an estimated 25 percent of Nebraska's high school graduates will be Hispanic.
Preparing students
To bring Hispanic students to campus, the university has to not only recruit them, but also prepare them to be recruited, according to numerous UNL admissions officials and high school counselors. Many Hispanics who graduate from Nebraska high schools do so without taking college preparatory coursework.
Although the population of college-aged Hispanics might be rising, the number of those students who are college eligible isn't rising as fast.
One way the university combats this is by making students aware of UNL's admission requirements early on, said Amber Hunter, a UNL admissions counselor who focuses on minority recruitment. The admissions office has implemented programs aimed at high school underclassmen that stress the importance of college preparatory coursework.
``If a student doesn't start out that way as a freshman, it's hard to recruit them as a senior,'' Hunter said.
The admissions office is even talking to students in elementary school.
``We talk about the importance of school to keep them motivated and how education can make dreams come true,'' Hunter said. ``In some of younger programs, the push is just to stay in school.''
In trying to ensure high school students are prepared for college, UNL has gone above and beyond typical recruiting practices, said Colleen Jones, assistant to the chancellor and a clinical assistant professor of management at the College of Business Administration.
But the university is not fully responsible.
``That's an issue for the local communities to address - not UNL,'' Jones said.
Language Barrier
Many high school seniors, although itching for independence, still rely on their parents to help fill out college applications, submit the FAFSA and schedule standardized testing dates. But commonly, Hispanic high school students are forced to face these tasks on their own because their parents don't speak, read or understand English.
Alan Cerveny, dean of admissions at UNL, said in response to this hurdle, the admissions office prefers bilingual candidates when hiring. Through part-time employees who are also bilingual college students, campus tours can now inform both students and parents. Additionally, four of the office's 16 full-time staff members are bilingual.
But even Cerveny admits that is not enough.
``It's one of those things we'd like to work to improve,'' he said.
But in light of Irais's experience, UNL has a long way to go to bridge the communication gap.
As a high school senior, no bilingual university representatives ever spoke to her mother and a translator was never around to help out.
So all the information she learned about scholarships, the FAFSA, residence halls and college in general, she had to later explain to her mother.
``Some of these words I didn't even know how to translate in Spanish,'' she said. ``I don't know how to say `tuition.'''
Additionally, the ideas she learned in English and tried to explain in Spanish weren't ones she herself completely understood.
When she tried to explain what she had learned to her mother, ``she was still kind of ... dumbfounded,'' Irais said. ``She didn't understand that I would live in the dorms.''
In the end, she and her mother decided UNL was just too complicated, and they decided to pick the easier option: go to school at Northeast Community College and live and eat at home, instead of worrying about a housing contract and a meal plan.
Personalized Recruiting
A personal touch goes a long way in the competitive college recruitment game, Cerveny said.
``Our overall goal for recruitment,'' he said, ``is to personalize our efforts so that each and every student feels touched by the university.''
Individual treatment is especially important for Hispanic students, who often have more questions because they are commonly first-generation students, he said. Questions can turn into doubts, and too many doubts can soon morph college into a daunting realm of the unknown.
``We have a lot of (Hispanic) students who come from homes where the idea of college is science fiction,'' he said. Because of this, he said, high school graduates are sometimes prone to ``just go work in the factories.''
In response to these fears, the admissions office has implemented many programs and tactics to help Hispanic high school seniors navigate the novel waters.
Additionally, a series of programs geared toward minority students have been developed since Hunter became the admission office's minority recruitment coordinator four years ago.
``We've really tried to make sure our students feel special and wanted,'' Hunter said.
And it seems to be working.
Irais definitely thinks so.
After a multicultural recruiting event at her high school, financial concerns caused her to dismiss the idea of going to UNL. But Hunter invited Irais to contact her with questions, and after graduating from community college, she did.
Whenever Irais inquired about scholarships or programs of study, Hunter always responded.
When she expressed interest in a certain major, Hunter informed her about the coursework, activities, opportunities and expectations of students with that major.
``It just seems like she actually cared and that she wanted me to be there,'' Irais said of Hunter.
It was Hunter who brought her attention to NU Paths, a full-ride scholarship that allows her to attend UNL this fall and guarantees admission to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
But Irais might have gotten to UNL sooner had someone, perhaps a guidance or admissions counselor, cleared up the misconceptions she had about scholarships and costs.
When Hunter started talking about tuition, room and board, and student fees at a high school multicultural day, Vargas said she was overwhelmed by the costs.
``Looking at the prices, I immediately thought, `This isn't happening,''' she said.
No amount of scholarships could offset the cost, she thought. The only scholarships she was familiar with were local ones for amounts in the hundreds of dollars.
``I didn't even know that some (scholarships) could be full tuition,'' she said. ``When you're a high school student, especially a Latino high school student, to put everything out on the table and really explain would help.''
Family ties
Many Hispanics hesitate to leave their families for college. As minorities, they've likely faced discrimination all their lives, and through it all, Hunter said, family is sometimes the only constant source of trust.
``Family has always been No. 1, so it's been hard to push it to a different priority,'' Hunter said.
But an emotional tie isn't the only thing that binds students to families and inhibits recruitment - there are also financial ties.
Even if students can get enough scholarships and financial aid to put them through four years of college, some hesitate to take the opportunity because their families need as many people as possible working to support the group. Sometimes the attitude is that every day spent in class is a day spent not earning money. For some, higher education is seen as unnecessary and a selfish excuse to get out of working.
While the fruits of entering the workforce are clearly visible to families, the benefits of entering college sometimes aren't.
The UNL admissions office has worked to break the negative stigma that is often attached to higher education by some Hispanic families, Hunter said.
Because college is expensive, many Hispanic students don't want to enroll. Even if scholarships and financial aid cover all but $2,000 per year, some families don't want to take out loans for the remaining amount. Yet, some of these same families would take out loans to purchase a car, Hunter said.
``A car's value depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot,'' Hunter said. ``But as soon as you graduate, you're worth more.''
Hunter said she delivers that message to many Hispanic families. But in some cases, it must not be getting through.
Wayne Fowler, a guidance counselor at Omaha Burke High School, said more needs to be done to encourage families to send their children to college.``There needs to be more education provided to minority students and their parents to learn what education opportunities are available beyond high school,'' he said.
Without that knowledge, he said, many families won't encourage their children to pursue a college education, and parental support, or the lack thereof, has huge effects.
``When you are young, your parents are your primary role models,'' Fowler said. ``So when your parents aren't pushing you to go to school or showing interest in college, it's hard to find motivation for yourself.''
Financing the american dream
Difficulty in paying for college is not just because of a lack of parental contribution - governmental aid is also lacking.
Some UNL officials said the university doesn't receive enough federal and state aid to develop the diversity it's shooting for, and it doesn't look like the situation will change anytime soon.
Currently, about 7,000 UNL students have large amounts of financial need, said Craig Munier, UNL's director of scholarships and financial aid.
Yet, the federal government has proposed slashing funding for TRIO, a series of programs that aid low-income and first-generation students. The Bush administration's proposal would cut Nebraska's TRIO funding in half, eliminating 13 programs that benefit approximately 2,800 students.
On the state level, Gov. Dave Heineman vetoed a $1.2 million funding increase last year for the Nebraska Scholarship Program. Heineman defended his veto, saying the program already received a significant increase in the past.
``It's not that I don't support the program, but we have a budget,'' he said. ``No one has been more supportive of education as governor as I have.''
And as governor, he also took an oath of office to uphold the law of the land, he said.
That's also why he vetoed LB239, a bill that allows the children of illegal immigrants living in Nebraska to pay in-state tuition. Although his veto was overridden and the bill signed into law in April, Heineman said two wrongs still don't make a right.
``Education is the great equalizer ... but that's unfair to those going through the legal immigration process.''
The state government provides the university with what it can, Heineman said, and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents is the body that's responsible for deciding how to use those funds.
``They deal with the issues,'' he said. ``They need to make the priorities for the University of Nebraska.''
Because of budget shortfalls, the board voted to increase tuition by more than 45 percent between 2002 and 2005. And at the same time, it failed to implement a need-based allocation formula that increases need-based grant funding at the same rate.
The Legislature isn't helping the cause either. Nebraska ranks 37th in terms of state grant appropriations.
``Compared to a lot of other states, we are not as forthcoming with money,'' Cerveny said.
Retention
Increasing diversity to campus is an ongoing effort that doesn't end once the recruitment phase is complete.
To successfully recruit Hispanic students, Cerveny said, the campus needs a presence of Hispanic students and faculty members.
Minority students don't want to move to a predominately white campus, which is why recruitment and retention go hand in hand, Hunter said.
And retention might be one of the areas that UNL is showing the most promise in.
Three years ago, the Office of Academic Support and InterCultural Services (OASIS) formed to help boost retention and over the years, the office has created programs to do so.
For example, NU Connections, a mentoring and social support program, provides first-year undergraduate minority students with student peer mentors and connections to resources. Since OASIS was created, the program's enrollment rose from 40 to 170. Last year, it boasted a 91 percent retention rate - more than six percentage points higher than the campus rate.
Although retention rates for Hispanic students have increased, reaching their highest level last year at 84.5 percent, even OASIS Director Jamar Banks is somewhat skeptical of the success.
``We could always improve in every area - this campus is predominately white,'' he said.
And thanks to students approving the expansion of the Nebraska Union to include a multicultural center, perhaps Hispanic retention rates and recruitment will improve further, he said.
``It puts diversity right smack dab in the middle of our campus, and it really means a whole lot to a student who visits this university,'' Banks said.
But it will take more than a brand-new multicultural center to bring Hispanic students to campus.
It's not just the admissions office's role to bring students to the university, and it's not just the role of OASIS to keep those students here, he said.
To achieve diversity, it will take a university-wide collaborative effort, Banks said, and so far, that has not happened.
Building Trust
Minority recruitment at UNL is on the right track, Hunter said.
But many people, like most minority students already on campus, want the university to move down that track faster.
For UNL, it will take time to develop diversity, Jones said.
``It's a building process,'' she said. ``It's nothing you can just snap your fingers and have.''
That's because first UNL has to build up trust with Hispanic communities and families.
Parents don't want to send their children to a place they don't trust will treat them well or where their culture will be diminished, she said.
One way that UNL can build that trust is by building diversity among its faculty and staff members, something many university officials pointed out.
However, that task will take time as well because even recruiting faculty members is difficulty. Right now, academic departments are working on networking as a way to find and recruit minority faculty members.
As UNL faculty members have pointed out, it's hard for minorities to come to UNL if they didn't grow up in a predominately white area.
Because faculty recruitment presents the same challenges as student recruitment, UNL will have to be patient, Jones said.
``The only way we can speed it up is if our school years were only four months long instead of nine, so we could bring in new students more often,'' she said.
``We're doing what we can in a nine-month cycle, and I think that we are doing well.''
And this fall, Irais will be on this campus, contributing to UNL's diversity - three years after she graduated from high school.
