January 6, 2015
HACU urges New Congress to address Hispanic higher education issues
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Legislative Agenda to be released at the 20th Annual Capitol Forum on Hispanic higher education, March 23 - 24, 2015, in Washington D.C., will provide an opportunity for the association to urge the 114th Congress to address Hispanic higher education issues.
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Three pressing issues that HACU will urge Congress to address include: increased funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, meeting the educational needs of Hispanic K-12 students and fixing the broken immigration system,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.
The following issues are among HACU’s priorities:
1. Funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions: More than 50 percent of all Hispanic college students attend one of the nation’s 370 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). However, these institutions continue to receive only 67 cents on the federal dollar allocated to higher education on a per student basis. While appropriations for the HSI grant program under Title V of the Higher Education Act has remained nearly flat for almost a decade, the number of HSIs competing has increased by 46 percent since 2005.
2. Addressing the needs of Hispanic K-12 students: The dramatic growth of the U.S. Hispanic population is immediately impacting K-12 education, as more and more school districts are becoming Hispanic-serving, i.e. having 25 percent or more Latino student enrollments. There is an urgent need for more well-trained teachers with the language and cultural and pedagogical competence to meet the educational needs of these students and assure them the opportunities to develop their full potential.
3. Fixing the broken immigration system: While we are pleased that the Administration has finally begun to take steps to regularize the status of millions of undocumented immigrants, all sides agree that our immigration laws are inadequate to the new realities. We urge Congress to take action to create a fair and just immigration system that opens a pathway to citizenship to those who still live in the shadows and especially to include the DREAM Act provisions that will assure that young immigrants have access to higher education and the opportunity to become fully contributing Americans.
“HACU will also closely monitor federal initiatives in STEM education, international education, and veterans’ education to assure appropriate inclusion of Hispanics and Hispanic higher education,” said Flores.
The Capitol Forum will include HACU delegations from colleges and universities to Capitol Hill to help make the case for Hispanic higher education.
Related:
Top issues Latinos want the 114th Congress to address (Source: VOXXI)