ABSTRACT
The findings in this chapter come from a two part national study using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. The chapter examines the factors that influence Latina student enrollment in Hispanic Serving Institutions, Emerging HSIs, and Non HSIs three institutional contexts. It then considers the contexts influence two outcomes academic self concept and social agency which the author argues represent student success and empowerment when a positive change is observed during college. The Latinas in HSI, an emerging HSI, non HSI study who entered HSIs, emerging HSIs, and non HSIs generally possessed different types and levels of capital at the beginning of college. Future studies on Latina/o college students should further consider how student experiences and outcomes may differ at HSIs, emerging HSIs, and non HSIs. Latinas clearly enter these college environments with different pre college characteristics and, after four years, show different levels of growth on outcomes representing success and empowerment.
