Illinois
Illinois can do more to break down barriers that keep Latino college students from graduating
Graduation culminates many years of hard work and overcoming challenges. But for many Latino students in Illinois, their commencement is also a celebration of defying the odds and achieving their goals.
A series of errors and glitches with this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will likely hurt an entire generation of students hoping to enroll in college this fall. While these issues have been updated, these challenges will have a disproportionate effect on the decision-making and college enrollment of Latino students, who are often the first in their families to go to college, low-income, and whose parents may be undocumented.
According to the National College Attainment Network, as of mid-May, Illinois ranks third in the country, with 52% of high school seniors submitting the FAFSA. This reflects the fantastic efforts of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), high school counselors and post-secondary staff across Illinois, and some universities extending their intent to enroll to June 1.
While FAFSA issues have improved, this is deeply concerning as only 20% of Illinois Latinos between the ages of 25 and 64 have earned bachelor’s degrees, the lowest rate among all racial and ethnic groups. This is an issue that impacts not just Latinos but all of Illinois. Between 2010 and 2020, the Latino population in Illinois grew from 2 million to 2.3 million. In other words, in a knowledge-based economy, this steadily growing segment of the population doesn’t have the necessary support to attain the tools — higher education — to participate in the workforce.
For the class of 2021, only 50% of Illinois Latino high school graduates enrolled in college.
However, among Latinos enrolled in college, many do not graduate. According to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Latino college completion rates in 2018 from community colleges were 25%, from public universities 51%, from private, nonprofit universities 59%, and from for-profit private colleges 32%.
To better understand educational attainment among Latinos — and to lay the foundation for future advocacy efforts to increase college access and completion — the Latino Policy Forum partnered with the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative and on the Illinois Latino College Landscape Study. In our report, published in 2023, we identified several critical factors that lead to college graduation, such as academic preparation, counseling support, and financial assistance.
Money, academics, language barriers can be fixed
But we also heard from Latino college students and graduates directly, many of whom shared that affordability was a major obstacle: “I worked almost full-time in college at a retail job to help my family financially at home. This time could have been used to work on my own educational goals.”
Others shared that they didn’t feel prepared for college saying that once enrolled in college, they “realized [they were] ill-equipped to tackle college-level courses… [and] felt like [they were] always playing catch-up.”
Another student identified the language barrier for their parents being a challenge saying, “I remember my school had one workshop where parents could come in if they had questions, but it was not bilingual. […] Obviously, the language barrier . . . impacted us a lot.”
These are challenges we can fix. We encourage state leaders to invest more in our public higher education institutions to increase college affordability, urge high school districts to increase academic preparation for Latinos, including increased access to rigorous coursework, and call on colleges to increase support for students and families, including providing information in multiple languages and transition programs that help students better engage in college.
Addressing the challenges that Latino students face to attaining a college degree will lead to more students, of all races and ethnicities, reaching their graduation day. As Latino graduates walk across the stage, in front of their families, friends, professors and peers, it will be a celebration of a hard-earned achievement, but also of the village that helped make it possible.
Jennifer Juárez, Ph.D., is the director of higher education policy at the Latino Policy Forum, a non-profit organization that advocates for Latino equity in education, housing, and immigration in Illinois.
Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro, Ph.D., is the vice president of education policy and research at the Latino Policy Forum.
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Combined state and federal taxes would take more than 50% of the top-end income for 22,000 Illinois small businesses.
Proposals in the Illinois General Assembly could slam massive tax hikes onto small businesses, the state’s primary job creator historically and in the recovery from the COVID-19 downturn.
One measure would punish 22,020 Illinois small businesses with a huge increase in their marginal state income tax rate and create a top tax rate of nearly 50.3% for them, once all state and federal income taxes are factored in.
S-corporations and partnerships, which “pass-through” their business income to their owners, who pay taxes as individuals, would see their top marginal state income tax rate jump from 4.95% to 7.95%, a 61% hike.
That would happen because the legislation, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 21, adds a 3% income tax on income above $1 million. It is scheduled for a hearing April 23 at which it could pass out of committee and go to a potential full House vote.
Research has shown that an increase in the top marginal tax rate is associated with a decrease in entrepreneurs’ hiring activity and lower wages for their employees.
Illinois has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and among the slowest wage growth. These are exacerbated by some of the highest state and local tax burdens in the nation, including the second-highest property taxes and eighth-highest sales taxes.
In 2017 Illinois residents endured the largest permanent income tax hike in state history, when lawmakers increased the rate by 32%, from 3.75% to 4.95%.
Illinois already pushes out more businesses than virtually any other state. The “millionaire’s tax” could make the situation even worse. Illinoisans should reject this call for higher taxes on the state’s vital small business community.
Contact your state representative to stop the small business tax hike here.
SYCAMORE, Ill. – A Sycamore mother said she is still waiting for justice more than two years after her teenage son was stabbed to death.
The case is back in court this week, where a judge will consider a key request that could change how the case moves forward.
What we know:
A mother said her son’s life was cut short during a confrontation that turned deadly.
Heather Gerken said her 17-year-old son, Kaleb McCall, was stabbed during an incident in September 2023. She said Kaleb agreed to meet another teen for what he believed would be a fist fight while sticking up for a friend.
According to Gerken, the other teen, who was 15 at the time, pulled a knife and stabbed Kaleb in the chest. Kaleb later died from his injuries.
Gerken said a jury later found that teen guilty of second-degree murder after the defense argued he acted in self-defense.
Dig deeper:
The case is not over.
Gerken says the defendant’s attorneys are now trying to move the case out of adult court and into juvenile court. That decision could impact how the teen is ultimately sentenced.
What they’re saying:
Gerken said the legal process has been long and frustrating.
She said the case has stretched on for more than two and a half years and that ongoing court proceedings have made it difficult for her to grieve her son.
“He was everybody’s big brother,” Gerken said. “He had the biggest smile and the sweetest personality. He enjoyed fishing and being outside, and he was the best gift giver. He always got me flowers for every little holiday. Just a very thoughtful boy.”
Gerken also said the possibility of the case moving to juvenile court is especially upsetting, as she continues to push for what she believes is justice for her son.
“I don’t want anybody else’s child to die the way that my son died,” Gerken said. “Caleb is my whole world. I gave birth to him at 17 and he changed my life completely. He made me a better person. He taught me what real love truly is…And I just miss him so much more every day. And just knowing that he died the way he did. It makes me sick.”
What’s next:
The case returns to court Thursday morning.
A judge is expected to determine whether the case remains in adult court or is moved to juvenile court, a decision that could shape what happens next in the case.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago’s Lauren Scafidi.
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