FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 02, 2015
President’s proposed budget for 2016 continues to underfund Hispanic-Serving Institutions
San Antonio, TX – Statement from Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) President and CEO Antonio R. Flores on the president’s proposed budget for 2016 fiscal year.
“President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2016 fails to recommend much-needed funding increases for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and its supporters urge Congress to improve on the President’s level-funding request and make the necessary national investments for institutional aid and STEM education.
HSIs remain sorely underfunded, receiving on average only 68 cents in federal funding on a per student basis for every dollar going to the rest of higher education. This inequity stands to worsen as more HSIs become eligible for the scarce and stagnating funding provided by Title V of the Higher Education Act and by the Farm Bill for them to serve the educational needs of their burgeoning student populations. Similarly, the National Science Foundation refuses to establish an institutional development aid program for HSIs even though Congress gave it the statutory authority.
From 2012 to 2013 alone, the most recent year for which federal data exists, 39 new HSIs emerged and joined the 370 already eligible, an annual growth rate of over 10 percent. These 409 institutions in 22 states and Puerto Rico serve the overwhelming majority of the 3 million Hispanic students in college today that are America’s future workforce. Overall, the proposed FY 2016 budget represents a net loss to the much-needed investment in the institutions that are educating almost 60 percent of Hispanic higher education students. It is imperative that Congress invest in HSIs equitably for the good of the nation and our economy.”
About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) represents approximately 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America and Spain. The association’s headquarters are located in San Antonio, Texas, with government relations offices in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, California. HACU, the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), will convene in Washington D.C. on March 23-24 for its 20th Annual National Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education. For more information, visit www.hacu.net.
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Media Contact: 210-576-3206 - Norma Jean Revilla-Garcia