Highlighting Success of Hispanic-Serving Institutions Amid Talk of Trimming Grants

A new report by Excelencia in Education asserts that institutions across the country can learn how to improve Latino student persistence and degree completion, especially during these challenging economic times, by mimicking the strategies of eight colleges and universities along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. The highlighted institutions are El Paso Community College District, Laredo Community College, South Texas College, Texas Southmost College, Texas A&M International University, and the Universities of Texas at Brownsville, El Paso and Pan American. All of these are designated Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) by the federal government, meaning more than a quarter of their student population is Hispanic, and they rank among the top institutions in enrolling and graduating Latino students, both statewide and nationally. Some of their effective strategies include campus-based work-study programs, guaranteed need-based scholarships, and emergency loans and installment/payment plans for them. Excelencia officials note that, amid federal budget talks (including the possible trimming of the Pell Grant maximum and HSI grants), this report is meant to influence “federal policy makers addressing the broader growth of Hispanic students throughout higher education.”