Occupational segregation and structural labor market discrimination contribute to significant socioeconomic disparities afflicting Latinas; these inequalities were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, approximately one in five Latinas were unemployed, registering the highest unemployment rate among all workers. Overall, the Latino…

A new law lowered the 1992 earnings cap that made it difficult for college students to qualify for Pell Grants, the largest federal source of need-based student financial aid. The measure also raises the Pell Grant maximum award, increases the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget, and makes other changes in the law. Details of l998 budget…

Insufficient funding for college work-study programs, increased student loan defaults, unanticipated deficits in the federal Pell Grant program, and the climate of recession are creating serious problems for student financial aid. Some fear enrollments will be affected and federal programs will be further reduced. (MSE)