Contextualizing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Educational Experiences and Outcomes of Latinx College Students in Texas

Abstract

ABSTRACT The transition to remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic is feared to have widened the achievement gap previously experienced by students from low socioeconomic and minority backgrounds. We utilized data from the COVID-19 Texas College Student Experiences Survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on Latinx students’ (n = 231) educational experiences and outcomes, including perceptions about institutional resources, coursework outcomes and experiences, and home educational environments. Regression models examined within-Latinx differences in educational outcomes across age, gender, income, nativity, parental status, student classification, and enrollment status. Interactions between student classification and the other student characteristics were tested. Overall, the educational experiences and outcomes of Latinx students varied significantly in the initial months of the pandemic. Latinx students from low-income backgrounds had less access to home educational resources, had lower GPAs, expected their GPAs to decline, and their ability/motivation to complete coursework was negatively impacted compared to high-income students. Undergraduates also experienced more challenges than graduate students, and in some instances, gender and income differences in educational experiences were worse among undergraduates. Higher education institutions and policymakers should support policies that expand access to educational tools and resources to facilitate learning during the pandemic and to better support Latinx students.