The most recent attacks on universities designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) not only demonstrate how this administration rejects the way our government has used federal grant programs to level the playing field for all students, but they also strike a low blow by pitting racial and ethnic groups against each other.
The HSI Program was created by Congress in 1992 with bipartisan support to provide key resources to universities that enroll large numbers of Hispanic students, which has helped them meet the needs of a growing and diverse student body.
Today, there are 615 HSIs nationwide, enrolling 67.3% of all Hispanic college students. More than 5.6 million students of diverse identities They benefit from their programs. Eight of the top 10 universities in the world in CollegeNet, Inc.’s 2024 Social Mobility Index (SMI) were HSIs.
The group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), the same group led by Edward Blum that took the case that dismantled affirmative action in the college admissions process to the Supreme Court in 2023, filed a lawsuit this summer alleging that this program discriminates against non-Latinos.
Shortly afterward, the Justice Department announced that it would not defend the case. And then, with cruel timing, the Department of Education announced during HSI Week that it had cut $350 million in funds that support HSIs and other institutions that support minorities.
The HSI Program never focused on selecting students by race. It has supported schools that already educate a diverse student body, and HSI funds are used to support all students in these schools, not just Latinos. Losing these grants will harm university campuses and the communities where these schools are located.
To make matters worse, the Department of Education announced that it was going to send $495 million dollars in funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tribal colleges.
HBCUs and tribal colleges have educated generations of students who would otherwise be excluded from higher education and clearly deserve robust funding.
We cannot be carried away by the administration’s maneuvers, which make it appear that various ethnic groups and institutions must fight each other for crumbs. There is enough money to continue funding all of these grants. What is missing is the will of an administration that believes that any program that supports traditionally excluded groups does so at the expense of white students.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs, but also reaffirms the government’s responsibility to take affirmative action to address historical exclusion. Withdrawing support from them while offering them new funding elsewhere undermines decades of policies designed to level the playing field.
For this reason, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), represented by LatinoJustice PRLDEF, has requested intervene in this caseand said request is still ongoing. We will not stand by while funding for Latino and students of color is undermined. LatinoJustice has been fighting for our community’s civil rights for more than 50 years, and we will continue to fight in the courts, in policymaking, and in coalition with others to ensure that equity is not dismantled under the false guise of neutrality.
The truth is that Latino, Black, Native, and Asian American communities are not enemies of each other. We are united in the fight against structural inequality, and the sooner we reject these tactics, the stronger we will be. We should not accept crumbs when we all deserve a place at the table. Because when all our students succeed, the nation succeeds.
Lourdes M. Rosado is the President and Chief Attorney of LatinoJustice PRLDEF.