Of the new crop of UC Santa Barbara freshmen, 44 percent are first-generation college students, an 11 percent increase over the past decade. Neither parent of first-gen students, as they at times call themselves, earned a four-year degree. They come from various racial or ethnic backgrounds, and many are low income.
Last month, UCSB received a five-year $2.6 million grant after it was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) — 8 percent more Latinos enrolled in the last decade — challenging its long-time reputation as a school for the rich and white. In addition, the university ranked third in a New York Times review of top colleges’ efforts on economic diversity.
“It’s like mowing the lawn,” said Chancellor Henry Yang, who has been at the helm for more than 20 years, when asked how the school was able to increase its diverse population. “You just persistently never become complacent. It has become a culture of this campus, which is do it every day.”