Castro, Padilla Condemn Trump Administration’s Ending of Discretionary Grants for Hispanic-Serving, Minority-Serving Schools

Castro, Padilla Condemn Trump Administration's Ending of Discretionary Grants for Hispanic-Serving, Minority-Serving Schools

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Democratic co-chairs of the Senate and House Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucuses, issued the following joint statement after the Trump Administration announced during HSI week that the U.S. Department of Education would end discretionary grants for HSIs and Minority-Serving Institutions.

"The Administration's reckless decision will devastate universities across the country in red and blue states as well as urban and rural areas that serve working-class students and students of color. Congress passed laws on a bipartisan basis to establish and support funding for our nation's Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Minority-Serving Institutions that are economic mobility engines. This action not only jeopardizes the education of the millions of students who attend these institutions, but threatens the future of our workforce.

"All students, no matter their background, deserve the right to a good college education. We call on the Trump Administration to immediately reverse course and make sure that all universities can meet the unique needs of their students."

HSIs are accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with 25 percent or higher total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time students. There are 615 HSIs in the United States that enroll 5.6 million Hispanic students, two-thirds of all Hispanic undergraduates, and 37 percent of total Pell recipients - empowering and improving communities.

Over half of students enrolled at HSIs are students of other races/ethnicities. In addition to their substantial Latino student bodies, HSIs enrolled approximately 285,000 Black/African American students, 311,000 Asian/Pacific Islander students, and 15,000 American Indian/Alaskan Native students.

Last month, Congressman Castro and Senator Padilla condemned the Trump Administration's letter declaring that they will no longer defend the $350 million HSI annual grant program in court, effectively ending the program.