FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 18, 2023

House Republicans put over five million HSI students at risk in severe budget cut proposal

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities disavows the House Republicans’ proposal to drastically cut the Department of Education’s budget for Fiscal Year 2024. This proposal reduces funding for the Department of Education by $63.8 billion, 28% below Fiscal Year 2023 levels.                                                          

The 572 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and over 400 emerging HSIs serve a diverse student population with over 5 million students. As HSIs comprise nine of the top ten colleges and universities ranked by the Social Mobility Index (SMI), they play a critical role in the development of our nation’s engine of economic mobility and must be treated that way.

“This proposed budget is going to further devastate the already inadequate federal funding for HSIs,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “If we want the United States workforce to be competitive in our global economy, we must invest in HSIs as a top priority for the good of the nation.”

The draft bill also includes some of the largest cuts within higher education, including eliminating funding for Federal Work Study, a cut of $1.2 billion that would result in the loss of work-based assistance for 660,000 students nationwide. The proposal slashes funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions Research and Development Infrastructure Grants, a cut of $50 million below the enacted level. Furthermore, the bill's failure to increase the maximum Pell Grant award for the first time since 2012 disproportionately affects HSIs, which currently enroll 31.2% of Pell Grant recipients.

HACU urges members of Congress to reject House Republicans' proposed budget cuts and support the critical funding for HSIs by adopting HACU's recommendations:

• Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (Title V, Part A): $300 million
• Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (Title V, Part B): $100 million
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) HSIs Education Grants Program: $50 million
• Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program): $115 million
  
  

HACU calls on its supporters to contact members of Congress and urge them to scrap these cuts and adequately fund HSIs in the FY24 appropriations package. Click here for information on contacting your respective member of Congress.

About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, D.C, Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. 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.

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