Hispanic Serving Institutions Change Lives and Drive Our Economy
BOSTON — The leaders of the nine Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Massachusetts are standing together to highlight the importance of the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. Collectively, the institutions enroll more than 50,000 students, and each year produce thousands of graduates who stay in the Commonwealth and contribute to the workforce and our thriving economy.
In 1992 Congress created the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program to close educational gaps and make sure every student, no matter their background, has a fair shot at a college education.
The majority of Hispanic/Latino undergraduate students attend community colleges, regional state universities, small private colleges and other institutions that historically operate with leaner budgets and more limited funding. The HSI Program provides access to grant funding—more than $400 million annually nationwide that colleges can apply for —to help level the playing field, ensuring our students and institutions have the resources to improve college attendance, degree attainment and workforce preparation for the communities and regions we serve.
This year, the celebration of National Hispanic Serving Institution Week September 8-14 is also a call to action: The state of Tennessee and the group Students for Fair Admissions have sued the U.S. Department of Education to end the HSI Program, and the U.S. Department of Justice has announced they will not defend the government against the suit.
Eliminating funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions will have a significant impact here in the Commonwealth.
As a recent report from the Mass Taxpayers Foundation and We Are ALX, ¡Vamos Massachusetts! Unlocking Hispanic/Latino Economic Advancement reveals, 8 out of 10 new Massachusetts residents are Hispanic/Latino and accounted for more than 80% of the state’s population growth over the last decade.
Most jobs in the state that pay family sustaining wages require some kind of education and training beyond high school, yet the Hispanic/Latino population in Massachusetts still lags far behind in degree attainment: less than 30% have at least an associate degree or higher, compared to nearly 60% of White residents.
When we educate and prepare everyone in our Commonwealth, including this fastest growing population of Bay-staters, for high-skilled, high-wage, high-demand jobs, we are improving the lives and futures of individuals, families, and entire communities. We are also ensuring the success of the best state economy in America.
That’s why this National Hispanic Serving Institution Week the leaders below are standing proudly together on behalf of our HSI institutions and alongside the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and urging state and national government leaders to support their vital mission, the HSI Program, and our future prosperity.
- Aisha Francis, Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
- Pam Eddinger, Bunker Hill Community College
- George Timmons, Holyoke Community College
- Phil Sisson, Middlesex Community College
- William Heineman, North Shore Community College
- Lane A. Glenn, Northern Essex Community College
- John Keenan, Salem State University
- John B. Cook, Springfield Technical Community College
- Yves Salomon-Fernández, Urban College of Boston