Controlling Student Debt Can Raise Latino Participation in STEM Careers, Report Says

Reducing undergraduate debt is a key factor in increasing the number of Latino students who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, according to a new report. The report examines the borrowing patterns of undergraduates and explores how debt loads affect graduate-school enrollment. Relative to other students in their graduating classes, Latino students with high debt were 17 percent less likely than students with no debt to enroll in graduate or professional school two years after earning their bachelor’s degrees, the report says. And even low debt hinders graduate enrollment: The report says Latino students with low debt were 14 percent less likely than those with no debt to pursue graduate or professional studies. The report suggests that the negative relationship between undergraduate debt and graduate enrollment appears to be greater for Latino students than for other ethnic groups.