Biden hosts formal ceremony to celebrate federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions

President Joe Biden hosted a formal ceremony Wednesday to publicly celebrate his executive order establishing an initiative to increase funding for Hispanic-serving institutions and create a board of advisors on HSIs.

Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, which are not-for-profit schools with a full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least a quarter Hispanic, are vital to the goals of equality in educational and economic opportunities, according to the White House.

With Hispanic people accounting for almost three-quarters of the nation's population gain, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from 2022 to 2023, higher education leaders are urging the president to spread the word about the new initiative, given its potential to help Hispanic students catch up to peers from some other backgrounds.

''Hispanic-serving institutions are places that turn dreams into reality for students across the country,'' Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement on X. ''When we support inclusive spaces, we are supporting everyone!''

The ceremony came after the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a nonprofit advocacy group, released a petition for Biden to host a public event to promote the HSI initiative.

Higher education advocates in Latino communities say that they are optimistic about the federal effort to support hundreds of local colleges and universities.

In a statement, HACU CEO Antonio R. Flores, who was at the ceremony, thanked Biden for taking action to advance the success of HSIs. Flores said the executive order shows a federal understanding of how crucial HSIs are to the future of the nation.

''The numerous forms of support for HSIs established by this order is the start of a new era for our schools, expanding and improving the landscape they operate within,'' Flores said. ''This will ensure HSIs have a seat at the table so that the students they serve have access to an education that is equitable and accessible, fulfilling the promise of the American dream that increasingly depends on a college degree.''

Latino students are hopeful that the executive order will help HSIs improve their infrastructure and ability to provide more resources in a variety of languages to its students.

The more than 500 HSIs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico serve more than 4.7 million students every year, according to federal data. Many students are low-income, and nearly a third are eligible for Pell grants, which are federal scholarships for students in need.

Unlike historically Black or Native American tribal colleges and universities, which are given their designations based on their missions, any college can receive the HSI label and related federal money if its Latino enrollment reaches at least 25% of the student body.

Hispanic people, who can be of any race, are the nation's second-largest demographic. Their population grew last year by about 1.2 million, to 65.2 million, meaning Hispanic people make up almost a fifth of the total population, according to census estimates.

Biden's order is intended to strengthen HSIs' ability to provide high-quality education, benefit from existing federal programs, and increase their students' educational and economic mobility.

HSIs ''play a critical role in ensuring Latinos have access to the middle class and can fulfill their aspirations,'' White House domestic policy advisor Neera Tanden said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. ''The president's executive order will strengthen these critical institutions and build their capacity to provide economic mobility for all their students.''

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