Between Expectations and Concerns: Indigenous Students Navigating the Transition to Higher Education in Colombia

• In Event: Navigating Transitions: Equity, Belonging, and the First-Year Experience

Abstract

This paper presents preliminary findings from the first stage of an ongoing research project examining the expectations and lived realities shaping the transition from high school to higher education for 117 Indigenous students in the Resguardo Indígena de Males, southwestern Colombia. Using an Indigenous mixed method approach, we integrated Círculos de la Palabra (sharing circles) with a culturally grounded Likert-scale survey analyzed through an Indigenous Quantitative lens. Findings highlight the importance of family, community values, and school support in shaping students’ aspirations and decisions. Key concerns include limited knowledge about accessing financial aid, emotional difficulty of leaving home, and uncertainty about university choice. Centering Indigenous voices supports a more relational, ethical, and sovereignty-grounded approach to higher education policy and research.

Authors

• Ruth E. Cuasialpud-Canchala, University of Arizona

• Jameson David Lopez, University of Arizona