April 28, 2015
HACU making a BIG difference in San Antonio, Texas and beyond, championing for Hispanic Higher education
Since its founding in San Antonio, Texas, in 1986, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has become the recognized voice of Hispanic-Serving Institutions nationwide and the Champion of Hispanic Success in Higher Education across the nation and abroad.
HACU’s participation as a non-profit in TheBigGiveSA is happening at a time when the association is set to reach its 30th year milestone and bring its premier national conference on Hispanic higher education to the Alamo city in 2016.
HACU and its members have transformed the Hispanic higher education landscape thanks to the pioneers that established the association with 18 charter member institutions.
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Among the first to join HACU were five San Antonio institutions: Our Lady of the Lake University, Incarnate Word College (now University of the Incarnate Word), Palo Alto College, St. Mary’s University, and San Antonio College. Together with other Texas institutions (Laredo State University, Pan American University and Texas A&I University) and institutions in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York, they began to lay the groundwork for the recognition of Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Six years after the association was founded, HACU led the effort to convince Congress to formally recognize campuses with high Hispanic enrollment as federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and to begin targeting federal appropriations to those campuses.
Twenty years ago HSIs were granted $12 million in federal resources for the first time ever. Since then, funding has increased significantly because of HACU’s persistent advocacy. In 2015, $100 million were appropriated for the HSI undergraduate program under Title V of the Higher Education Act.
During the past two decades HSIs have more than doubled from 189 to 409 institutions. Four-year HSIs have shown the largest growth from 86 to 206. More Hispanics are attending college and Hispanic undergraduate enrollment at HSIs is now 1.6 million, which represents a 230% growth in enrollment numbers. Twenty-one states now have HSIs (compared to 13 in 1995). The growth of HSIs continues and 296 institutions may soon meet the HSI definition as their Hispanic enrollment increases.
HACU-member institutions in Texas include 62 HSIs and emerging HSIs and four Hispanic-serving school districts that are part of association that represents more than 450 colleges, universities and school districts committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America and Spain. 
Thousands of students nationwide have benefitted from scholarships and paid internships offered through the HACU National Internship Program, sponsored by federal and corporate partners.
HACU maintains its national headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, and is a member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. HACU also has regional offices in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, California. Click on the image below to watch a short video of HACU.