New IHEP Analysis Shows Financial Need by Country of Origin

"Among Latino students, for example, the report shows that Cuban students' unmet financial need varies greatly based on their generational status, with first-generation Cubans having a whopping 95 percent of their financial need unmet, versus 72 percent for a second-generation Cuban American with two foreign-born parents and 53 percent for those with only one foreign-born parent. It increases again to 78 percent for third-generation students."

"For those of Mexican descent, however, generational status has almost no impact, decreasing only five percentage points from 83 percent unmet financial need among first-generation students to 78 percent among third-generation Mexican Americans. Similar variance can be seen among Asian American students. While students of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Filipino origin see more significant declines in unmet financial need based on generation, third-generation Korean Americans end up with 81 percent unmet financial need, just five percentage points below first-generation immigrants."

Unmet financial need among college students varies by country of origin and by how long families have lived in the United States. Cuban-origin students show large generational swings: first-generation Cubans face 95 percent unmet need, second-generation with two foreign-born parents face 72 percent, those with one foreign-born parent 53 percent, and third-generation 78 percent. Students of Mexican descent show little generational change, dropping from 83 percent unmet for first-generation to 78 percent for third-generation. Among Asian-origin students, some groups see notable declines across generations, while third-generation Korean Americans still face about 81 percent unmet need. Contributing factors include societal barriers, difficulties navigating financial aid, and varying poverty levels across populations.

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