Gang-Associated Latino Male Youth and Their Perceptions of College Costs and Affordability

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: The Role of Financial Aid and College Costs in College Access

Abstract

The purpose of the proposed scholarly paper is to share the results of a year-long study focused on college knowledge and college costs for gang-associated youth in high school continuation programs. The paper showcases the attitudes, experiences, and beliefs that high school aged gang affiliated youth have about financial aid, and how, as a result of their participation in continuation schools and also perhaps because of their gang affiliated, they are not provided with accurate information, if information is provided at all. This is important because research shows that gang-associated youth are 30 percent less likely to complete high school and almost 60 percent less likely to earn some form of college credential compared to their non-gang peers.

Authors

• Kristan Venegas, University of La Verne

• Adrian H. Huerta, University of Southern California