Latina/o Student Participation in a Study Abroad Program

• In Event: Leveraging Institutional Resources to Enhance the Experiences and Outcomes of Diverse Students

Abstract

Latinx students are underrepresented in study abroad programs compared to their overall participation in higher education. This paper seeks to explore both individual-level characteristics and experiences as well as institutional contexts and environments that confer with Latinx students’ inclusion in a study abroad program.
Using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, the final longitudinal sample includes 1,242 Latinx students across 87 institutions who graduated in 2013. Among this sample, 51.3% indicated at the time of college entry there was a very good chance they would participate in study, though a smaller percentage, 34.7%, reported actual participation upon their college graduation. Additional descriptive statistics and results from a hierarchical generalized linear model will be discussed, including recommendations that may address inequities in study abroad programs and promote Latinx student participation.

Authors

• Joseph John Ramirez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Abigail Kiyoko Bates, University of California, Los Angeles