An Examination of the Relationship Between the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution (Title V) Program and Six-Year Completion Rates for Latino Students at Public Four-Year Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the United States

Abstract

Postsecondary attainment rates for Latinos in the United States have improved steadily over time, however Latinos continue to have disproportionately reduced opportunities in obtaining baccalaureate degrees in comparison to their White peers. These disparities are found at all levels of education and are particularly evident among graduates of various Latino backgrounds. Of particular relevance to this study is the premise that the majority of Latinos who enroll in a college or university in the United States do so at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The more than 500 HSIs in this country represent 17 percent of all postsecondary institutions and educate nearly 70 percent of all Latinos. Yet, the relatively brief history of HSIs is one of institutions that receive less funding per pupil, spend less money on academic and support services, and continue to rely on public support for more than 60 percent of their revenue. Hence, making HSIs more dependent on state support in comparison to their non-HSI counterparts. This level of dependency on public support by HSIs also threatens their financial resiliency when this resource is reduced. The U.S. Congress established the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution (Title V) program in 1998 to provide HSIs with additional financial support and ultimately improve postsecondary success for Latino students. Presently, we are more than two decades removed from when HSIs were first recognized and the Title V program was launched, and no single evaluation has examined whether Title V is meeting its stated goals. This study represents a first-ever rigorous assessment of the Title V program’s effectiveness in one of its most frequently cited aims, improving six-year completion rates for Latinos pursuing a baccalaureate degree in the United States. The results from this analysis suggest that Title V awards have no statistically significant relationship on six-year completion rates for Latino students at public four-year HSIs during the period observed (1997-2012). At first glance these results may bring into question the efficacy of the Title V program in meeting its stated goal of improving completion rates for Latino students; however, this study offers an explanation to help make sense of these results. Anchored in the theoretical perspectives applied in this study and the empirical trends observed in the review of the literature, the findings from this assessment suggest that variations in the financial contexts of public HSIs shape organizational behavior and drive performance outcomes at these institutions (i.e., completion rates). This study emerges during a moment in the history of American higher education in which hard decisions about the investment of limited resources are becoming increasingly difficult and publicly challenging. The recent pandemic has placed yet another unexpected strain on public resources. If advocates for HSIs and the Title V program expect to secure continued investments and potentially expand the base of support, then researchers and policymakers alike must work to identify ways to demonstrate the efficacy of programs such as this one and further ensure that these programs effectively improve postsecondary success for Latino students. Moreover, given the growing representation of Latino undergraduates in the American system of higher education and the gaps that persist in completion rates between Latinos and their White peers, it is of utmost importance that researchers continue to rigorously assess and evaluate programs that effectively seek to improve baccalaureate completion rates for Latino students.