Abstract
To better understand Latina/o students' needs in a predominantly White institution of higher education with low Latina/o retention rates, semistructured interviews were completed with 30 Latina/o students. The themes that emerged through qualitative analysis of the interviews were: linguistic and financial barriers; a need for unity; availability of resources; sources of support; and educating ourselves and others about Latinas/os. Recommendations for enhancing the Latina/o student experience include activities to engage Latinas/os in the university life, bilingual support, and extending the curriculum to address Latina/o issues. Other institutions of higher education would benefit from studying local Latina/o students' needs to gain more insight into retention and graduation issues from the perspective of the students.
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