Member Advisory--March 31, 2006

Majority Leader Frist pledges support for Hispanic higher education agenda

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The majority leader of the Senate, William Frist, pledged to “do everything I can” to increase funding to the $100 million mark for Title V grants to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) next year.  Speaking at the annual Capitol Forum of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Frist affirmed his commitment to support key Hispanic higher education requests in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.   

He said that Senate leadership is “working to authorize funding” for HSI graduate education programs and promised to work to eliminate “red tape” provisions like the two year wait out period between Title V grants and the low-income assurance requirement for Title V eligibility.  Title V of the Higher Education Act is the chief vehicle for Federal funding for Hispanic-Serving colleges and universities.

Senator First also told the audience that he is committed to “a crusade to eradicate healthcare disparities” between races and ethnicities and promised that HSIs will be involved in these effort.  Hispanics are the country’s largest and fastest-growing ethnic population, but suffer disproportionately from lower educational attainment and higher health risks.

The Majority Leader also addressed immigration issues currently receiving a great deal of attention on Capitol Hill and around the country.  Senator Frist reminded the audience that “this nation was made great by men and women who longed for a better life and came to America to find it.”  He pointed out, however, that “no nation should have to choose between respect for its history and respect for its laws.”  He assured the audience that, “with hard work and responsible debate on the Senate floor, we can do both.”

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of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.