The U.S. Department of Education announced on Sept. 10 that it will end all funding to several Minority-Serving Institution grant programs. This is in support of the U.S. Attorney General’s letter in July stating that Hispanic-Serving Institutions violate the equal-protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause. The federal government will also end funding for other MSIs, such as Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions.
“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.”
UT San Antonio is one of the original 189 universities in the nation to be federally designated as a HSI. To qualify as an HSI, there must be at least 25% full-time Hispanic undergraduates. These designations allow the institutions to receive different forms of federal funding to help support student services, faculty development and other programs.
UT San Antonio’s HSI designation has resulted in the university being invited as a founding member of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities. This is a group of institutions that are federally designated as HIS and R1 universities. UT San Antonio was also honored as a recipient of the Excelencia in Education with a Seal of Excelencia in 2020.
Defunding HSIs will result in loss of financial resources, such as reductions in academic support, infrastructure and possibly raise tuition costs. The reduction of resources could possibly delay graduation rates, increase attrition and shrink opportunities for students.
“Cutting this funding strips away critical investments in under-resourced and first-generation students and will destabilize colleges in 29 states,” said David Mendez, Interim CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
“This is not just a budget cut, it is an attack on equity in higher education. The funds granted to HSIs have never supported only Latino students. These funds strengthen entire campuses, creating opportunities and resources that benefit all students, especially those pursuing STEM fields, as well as enhancing the communities where these colleges and universities are located,” Mendez continued.
UT San Antonio declined to comment on this matter.
