cameron county/matamoros - blue - The University of Texas at ...

UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Education & Training 67
University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College
Total Headcount 9,373 Under 18 453
Undergraduates 8,607 92% 18-25 5,432
Graduates 766 8% 25-35 2,226 Average Age
Female 5,786 62% 36-45 868 = 25.8
Male 3,587 38% Over 45 394
Hispanic 8,667 92% Brownsville 7,196 77%
White, Non-Hispanic 569 6% San Benito 605 7%
Other 2% Harlingen 411 4%
International 68 Los Fresnos 296 3%
Black 27 Other 9%
Asian 26 Certificates 142 (Dec ’00,
Indian 7 Associates 459 May ’01, &
Unknown 15 Bachelors 543 Aug ‘01
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
10.3
Financial Aid (Millions) Table 4. 5. UTB/TSC Student Profile 2002
Source UTB-CBIRD
Figure 4.19 demonstrates the increase in federal aid to UTB/TSC students 1994-
2002. For those students who have completed the financial aid process for the
2002-2003 school year, the average financial need is $10,332 for one
academic year while the financial aid package available averages $6,408.
Figure 4.19. UTB/TSC Financial Aid Increase 1994-2002
327% Increase
0.0
Source UTB-CBIRD
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
In short, this economically marginalized population has an average unmet
educational aid need of at least $3,924 per year, further exacerbating the socioeconomic
barriers to completing their education. While Financial Aid to UTB/TSC
students has increased by 327% since 1994, a 38% financial shortfall “per
student” remains unaddressed for 2002-2003. At the same time, The University
of Texas System has met less than 15% of its stated goal to enroll 102,500
Hispanic students by 2005. 1 Indeed, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board identified a goal of increasing statewide Hispanic enrollment in Texas
higher education institutions to 60% of the total enrollment (300,000 of
500,000) by 2015. 2
1 UTB/TSC is part of The University of Texas System which includes 9 academic universities and 6
health institutions.
2 “The Daily Texan,” UT-Austin newspaper, January 17, 2003, page 1.
31.5
One Region -- One Future
The main reason
Hispanic students are
not meeting the state’s
enrollment goals is
that their family
incomes tend to be
lower than those of
other ethnic groups
and they cannot afford
tuition and fees for
four years at Texas
pubic education
institutions.
Steven H. Murdock
Texas State Demographer
Texas A&M University
Quoted by M. Arnone in “Texas
Falls Behind in Plan to Enroll
More Minority Students”
Chronicle of Higher Education,
1/17/03