California Colleges Fear Loss of Federal Funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions

When Vanessa Perez Rojas began her first year at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, she recalled feeling a bit lost and out of place. Growing up in San Francisco with parents who migrated from Mexico and El Salvador, she said she wasn’t exposed to much information about college.

“I had no idea how to even declare a major. I didn’t really even know where to look,” said the 21-year-old speaking from campus, where graduation celebrations often include mariachi bands and taco bars.

Perez Rojas knew of Saint Mary’s because her older brother had attended — which gave her the confidence that she could find support as a first-generation college student. More than one-third of St. Mary’s students are Latino, and the school is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution, a federal program that allows colleges to apply for grants if at least 25% of their students identify as Hispanic.

“I’ve been able to meet great mentors who also fit that description of being first generation, and far beyond being able to see myself through them, they want to see people like myself succeed,” Perez Rojas said.

There are 171 Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California — the most of any state — and they have long relied on federal funding to pay for programs, staff, and support services. Now, those schools are worried about the program’s future. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education pulled $350 million that had been allocated to HSIs. 

In a statement, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the HSI program amounts to “discrimination based upon race or ethnicity,” as the Trump administration scales back initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

“The Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas,” McMahon said.

The program’s existence was already under threat. In June, the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded by conservative activist Edward Blum for the purpose of challenging affirmative action admissions policies at schools, filed a federal lawsuit claiming HSI funding is unconstitutional. The Trump administration declined to contest the case.

The idea that the program is discriminatory is misleading, said Gina Ann Garcia, a professor in the UC Berkeley School of Education who studies HSIs and hosts a podcast about them. 

“A lot of campuses do benefit, including our community college system in California, and have had a good success rate of getting those HSI grants to advance programs that we know are serving students,” Garcia said. “It would be detrimental to California if we no longer have access to those funds.”

HSIs were created in the 1990s to ensure that colleges enrolling large numbers of Latino students received adequate funding to help those students graduate. 

In California, more than 90% of community colleges, and 21 out of 22 California State Universities and seven of nine University of California undergraduate campuses qualify as HSIs. Community colleges in the state estimate they will lose at least $20 million this year. 

“The mission of our colleges is to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to succeed,” California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian said in a statement after the Education Department pulled HSI funding. “We are deeply troubled that this action could limit access to resources that support their educational advancement and economic mobility.”

HSI funds have helped pay for high school students to take community college classes, cover students’ living expenses and provide mentorship — efforts shown to increase graduation rates and long-term socioeconomic mobility for Latinos, Garcia said. 

At Saint Mary’s, the school will not see an immediate financial hit because it doesn’t currently have active HSI grants, but participation in the program signals a commitment to serving Latino students, Provost Carol Ann Gittens said.

“What that says to students and families is that if you come to Saint Mary’s College, you’re going to be supported,” Roger Thompson, president of Saint Mary’s, told KQED. “Latino students are the fastest growing demographic in the state and the country, but it’s also one of the least likely to go to college. We are leaning in in every way possible to try to build and increase our Hispanic student population.” 

Perez Rojas is on track to graduate next spring with a degree in business administration. Her path wasn’t always certain. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, she had to transfer after her high school closed. Her new school offered little college guidance, so she relied on her brother for help.

At Saint Mary’s, admissions and financial aid counselors met with her parents in person — in Spanish. 

“Just sitting down and explaining things really made a difference,” Perez Rojas said. “I don’t think I would be in college if that wasn’t the case.” 

A combination of financial aid and scholarships, including one for students with family alumni, made her education possible. 

But once she arrived on campus, Perez Rojas said she still struggled to adapt. She recalled attending a panel discussion about imposter syndrome at the college’s Intercultural Center that had a profound impact. 

“I realized that there are other people on this campus that feel that same way. It definitely changed my perspective on being worthy of having a bachelor’s degree,” said Perez Rojas, who hopes to use her business background to serve the Latino community. “I want to promote, hopefully, more Latinx students to come to Saint Mary’s, but also to foster that idea that you are important, you are known and you can be safe here.”