from Hispanically Speaking News
A recent report has pointed out that while the need for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) college students has risen, the number of Latino students in the fields are far lower than the national average, and that number will only worsen unless more pre-college age Latinos take an early interest in STEM education/careers.
The report, coauthored by a University of California-Riverside (UCR) researcher, points out that while Latinos are underrepresented in all of higher education, it is especially true in STEM majors.
It is also pointed out that federally funded programs aimed at assisting Latinos in STEM fields are helpful in graduating more Latinos in the concentrations. The research explains that Latino students are more likely to come from low-income families, attend schools with higher drop-out rates, and have at least one parent who did not attend college.