From Community College to Advanced Health Sciences Degrees: Addressing Admissions Inequities for Underrepresented Minority Students

• In Event: Research In Progress Roundtable Session 5
  In Invited Roundtable: Equity and Opportunity in Higher Education: Affirmative Action, Student Debt, and Free Expression (Table 6)

Abstract

This study examines how postsecondary pathways impact acceptance into graduate health sciences programs, focusing on underrepresented minority (URM) students who begin their education at community colleges (CCs). Using Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit), it critiques admissions policies that undervalue CC students' qualifications despite their potential to diversify the healthcare workforce. Preliminary analysis of data from a Texas R1 institution (2020–2024) reveals that CC students, particularly URM applicants, face systemic barriers in admissions. By highlighting inequities in the evaluation of CC pathways, this research aims to inform equitable admissions policies that expand access to healthcare careers and address health disparities

Author

• Melina Benavidez, University of Texas - San Antonio