Abstract
A number of policymakers have shifted their attention from the participation rates of Hispanics in postsecondary education to the percentage of this population that completes a baccalaureate degree. Several reports stress that while participation rates have increased, there are continued disparities in outcomes between Hispanic and White college students (President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Citation2003; Council of Economic Advisers, Citation2000; Fry, Citation2002; Vernez & Mizell, Citation2001). Although many states have experienced increases in Hispanic postsecondary attendance, such is not the case in Texas—a state with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country. Figures for 2003 show that 3.9% of Hispanics in Texas were enrolled in some type of postsecondary institution compared to 5.2% of African Americans and 5.6% of Caucasians (Haurwitz, Citation2005).