August 2, 2010
Member Advisory
HACU members are urged to continue fighting for the DREAM Act

As a result of our members’ requests, HACU is this year making a major push to advocate on Capitol Hill and to the White House for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (the “DREAM Act”).   This bill would help certain undocumented immigrant students and give them the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency.  The students must have graduated from U.S. high schools, be of good moral character, have arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16 and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill’s enactment. 

The House of Representatives has begun its August recess and your Representatives are now in their home districts.  Your Senators will be returning home for their recess Friday, August 6.  Both chambers are in recess until September 13.

Please contact your Congressman or Senator this month to set up a meeting or attend a town hall to express your position.

It helps to be specific:
• Ask them to please cosponsor the DREAM Act if they have not already done so.  The economic impact of this legislation on each state will be positive and will help during these difficult economic times.
• Ask them to push for comprehensive immigration reform which includes the DREAM Act.  We need immigration reform, as the issues surrounding the recent Arizona immigration law have highlighted.
• If they do not wish to cosponsor the DREAM Act, request that they at least ask Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid and Senator Durbin to bring the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform to a vote in the House and Senate.

More information on the DREAM Act can be found at www.actonthedream.org.  If you have questions, need further background information for a meeting, or need help in setting up a meeting, please contact Serena Dávila, HACU’s Executive Director of Legislative Affairs, at 202-261-2091 or sdavila@hacu.net.

August 2, 2010
Member Advisory
Hispanic-Serving Institutions - Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans

The Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) encourages Hispanic-Serving Institutions across the nation to apply for the Department of Education’s Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans
The purposes of the PPOHA Program are to: (1) expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and (2) expand the postbaccalaureate academic offerings as well as enhance the program quality in the institutions of higher education that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic and low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.

Posted Date: July 27, 2010
Category of funding: Discretionary grant
Estimated Total Program Funding: $9,785,518. (Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, additional awards may be taken in FY 2011 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition).
Estimated Range of Awards: $385,000-575,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards $500,000.
Estimated number of awards: 18-20
Deadline: Application must be received by August 26, 2010.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-18355.htm

Additional Info: Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. http://e-grants.ed.gov.

Contact Info: 
Dr. Maria E. Carrington,
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, NW, Room 6036
Washington, DC 20006-8513.
(202) 502-7548
Maria.Carrington@ed.gov.