ICYMI: President Biden Signs Executive Order, Announces New Investments To Strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Latino Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 31, 2024
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ICYMI: PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER, ANNOUNCES NEW INVESTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND LATINO COMMUNITIES
Biden-Harris Administration expands federal support for HSIs, reinforcing educational and economic equity for Latino students amid rising challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, President Joe Biden ceremonially signed an Executive Order, establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Joined by nearly two dozen champions of HSIs and Latino community leaders, President Biden announced nearly $19 million in research infrastructure investments for five HSIs across Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Puerto Rico. These efforts amplify the administration’s historic commitment to Latino empowerment, building on over $16 billion invested in more than 500 HSIs across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, which together educate over 4.7 million students each year.
The new executive order strengthens federal partnerships with HSIs to promote educational equity and economic advancement for Latino students. It establishes the first-ever President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs and prioritizes federal support for HSIs to expand program offerings, align with national economic needs, and create accessible pathways into federal careers. By bolstering HSI infrastructure and fostering cross-sector collaborations, the Biden-Harris Administration reaffirms its dedication to ensuring that institutions with a 25% or higher Latino enrollment are well-equipped to fulfill their vital roles as engines of opportunity.
Javier Gamboa, Deputy Executive Director of Building Back Together, applauds the president’s commitment to Latino communities and HSIs, saying:
“President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership continues to elevate the voices and issues impacting our communities, providing HSIs the resources to thrive and support their students. This is a stark contrast to the MAGA Republican agenda, which seeks to divide and diminish the contributions of Latinos to our country. Yesterday’s ceremony with President Biden and Latino leaders represents a commitment to equity and opportunity for all.”
The administration’s announcement includes nearly $19 million in grants for HSIs through the Department of Education’s Research and Development Infrastructure Program, aimed at enhancing research capacity and physical infrastructure to empower HSI faculty and students to lead in research and innovation.
To learn more about how the Biden-Harris Administration is expanding opportunities for Latino communities, see the White House fact sheet here. Details of President Biden’s executive order can be found here.
See notable coverage regarding President Biden’s executive order and investments in HSIs below:
Associated Press: Hispanic-serving colleges and universities see hope in a White House initiative
With Hispanic people accounting for almost three-quarters of the nation’s population gain, according to the 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.
“This is very important for the country to have this type of new development at the national level,” said Antonio R. Flores, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“We know the implications of this are also enormous for the nation” because Latinos are a fast-growing demographic, “and this is reflected in higher education enrollment,” said Flores, whose group hopes the White House will hold a formal ceremony in September to promote the HSI initiative.
Biden’s order is intended to strengthen the ability of HSIs to provide high-quality education, benefit from existing federal programs, and increase the educational and economic mobility of their 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.
Bay News 9: Bay area students react to Biden announcement for college students
The Biden administration is announcing new benefits for Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) to boost higher educational opportunities for Latinos.
A key element of the policy change is an executive order establishing “The White House initiative on advancing educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity through HSIs.”
HSIs have Latino student populations of 25% or more in the Bay area, which includes Hillsborough Community College and Polk State College. HSIs educate more than 4.7 million students nationwide
Sitting at his favorite spot on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, Diego Dulanto is relishing the college experience. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Peru when he was a child.
“To be able to make it in a country where we have no resources, where we barely even spoke the language, it just means everything to me,” Dulanto said.
Dulanto is a DACA recipient and he is currently pursuing his master’s degree in public health.
“It was difficult,” he said. “But I was able to get by with the Dream scholarship, which graciously supported my undergraduate career.”
Dulanto said he supports new actions that the Biden administration says will boost educational opportunities for Latinos.
The administration says its initiative will increase federal support for HSIs, improve their financial stability and align their programs with economic needs, particularly in stem fields.
La Administración Biden-Harris destaca su esfuerzo por mejorar opciones para distintas poblaciones, incluidas las latinas, las cuales incluyen mejores posibilidades en educación, pero también en inversiones.
“[Se han creado] más de 15 millones de puestos de trabajo (5 millones de ellos creados para latinos), ayudar a los empresarios latinos a iniciar nuevos negocios al ritmo más rápido en más de 10 años, abordar nuestro sistema de inmigración roto y trabajar para garantizar oportunidades educativas equitativas para los estudiantes”, se destaca.
La educación de excelencia, indica la Administración Biden-Harris, es fundamental para que esta población alcance el llamado Sueño Americano. Las HSI permiten ofrecen a los hijos de las familias con menos recursos a estudiar una carrera universitaria, a fin de que puedan encontrar mejores opciones laborales.
A través de la orden ejecutiva se crea la Junta de Asesores del Presidente sobre las HSI, que asegurará que haya una mejor participación en programas federales, incluso mejorar las estrategias y programas educativos.
También se busca mejorar la capacidad de tales instituciones para que sus programas respondan a las necesidades económicas en EE.UU., especialmente en Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas.
Destaca la coordinación con organizaciones filantrópicas, públicas y privadas para alcanzar los objetivos de la nueva orden, la cual también busca que tanto estudiantes como profesores tengan acceso a programas federales.
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