FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2021

SAN ANTONIO – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has issued the following statement on President Biden’s revised Build Back Better Act framework released on October 29, 2021.

HACU applauds the president’s leadership in increasing mandatory appropriations for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which includes $470 million for HSI STEM and Articulation Programs. The framework also raises the maximum amount for Pell grant recipient funding by $550 and extends eligibility to DACA and Temporary Protected Status students.

Another historic investment in HSIs, HBCUs, TCUs, and other MSIs is the $3 billion research and development infrastructure competitive grant program. This program will assist HSIs in planning and implementing strategies benefiting their students and institutions after years of underfunding exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 569 HSIs collectively enroll more than 5.4 million college students, including two-thirds of the 3.8 million Hispanic college students. HSIs also educate one-fourth of all African Americans in higher education, 42% of Asian Americans, 36% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 26% of multi-racial, and 15% of White college students in the U.S. HSIs are a microcosm of America’s diversity and represent the largest cohort of MSIs.

To truly build back better, we need to unleash the full potential of HSIs by continuing to invest in proportion to the number of HSIs and the total number of students that they educate. The framework serves as a down payment for decades of underfunding and underinvestment in HSIs and the millions of students that they serve.

HACU will continue to advocate for fair and equitable funding for HSIs.

About HACU

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. The mission of HACU is to Champion Hispanic Success in Higher Education. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California. More information is available at www.hacu.net.

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Contact:
Norma Jean Revilla-Garcia
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Phone: (210) 576-3206 E-Mail: njgarcia@hacu.net

Christopher de Hoyos Assistant Director of Communications and Social Media
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Phone: (210) 576-3242 E-Mail: chris.dehoyos@hacu.net