This National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Week should have been a time of celebration — honoring the more than 600 colleges and universities that educate two-thirds of all Hispanic undergraduates and drive America’s workforce forward. Instead, the week, which coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month and is recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), has turned into a call for action fighting for the very existence of the federal HSI designation due to a recent lawsuit.
Dr. Mordecai I Brownlee
This past June, the State of Tennessee and the group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Education, claiming that HSI programs are discriminatory due to the status enrollment threshold. According to the Higher Education Act, HSIs are not-for-profit colleges and universities where at least 25% of the full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate enrollment is Hispanic. Following the filing, last month, the Department of Defense announced that it would not defend against the lawsuit. Interestingly, according to the HACU 2023-2024 Emerging HSI Report, which provides an account of nonprofit, degree-granting institutions with full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate Hispanic student enrollment of at least 15% but less than 25%, Tennessee had six institutions recognized at an emerging HSI status, ranging from 15.8% to 22.5%.
What’s at Stake: America’s Workforce and Economic Future
Instead of prompting a discussion regarding the threshold or advocating for a more encompassing metric, SFFA, the group that ended race-conscious admissions (along with the State of Tennessee), believes it is better to seek to end federal Title V funding altogether for over 5.6 million students at 615 colleges and universities. At a time when the United States faces high risks of labor shortages and various environmental disruptions due to demographic shifts, technology, economic, and geopolitical realities, why would it be in the best interest of our country to strip away funding for its minority serving institutions — the very engines that daily prepare first-generation and low socioeconomic learners to drive America’s workforce?
Even more concerning is why, at a time when the U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education collaborated on a milestone report outlining President Trump’s America First economic agenda, which details efforts to “take innovative actions to empower more Americans to access good-paying jobs, build pipelines of skilled talent for critical industries, prepare the workforce system for an AI-driven economy, and position the U.S. as the dominant global economic leader” would America become distracted and start attacking our own community colleges and universities — the very institutions producing that talent?
The False Narrative of Race-Only-Based Funding
Some seek to make HSI funding be interpreted as race-only-based funding, which would falsely infer that students are receiving federal funding to advance their education due to their race and race alone, which is false. Instead, HSIs are a part of a family of other Minority Serving Institutions, which include Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), amongst others. In each categorical designation, whether historic institutional mission-based or race- or ethnicity-based requirement, MSI-related funding acknowledges the demographic realities of communities served by a respective institution and aims to provide critical funding to ensure the enrollment and ultimately degree or credential completion of all learners attending that institution.
A Case Study: Community College of Aurora’s HSI Impact
Remarkably, HSIs enroll 67.3% of all Hispanic undergraduates across the country, and are conduits of change, as they strengthen local economies by creating workforce development programs, build a pipeline to help students with opportunities in their own locality, and provide space and resources for our communities. The Community College of Aurora, where I proudly serve as president, received its federal HSI designation in 2016. Thanks to Title V funds, our institution has achieved historic enrollment, developed summer bridge programs to support the high school to college pipeline (especially for first-generation learners), and created innovative professional development programs to support the pedagogical advancement of our dedicated faculty, instructors, and staff.
Furthermore, CCA has successfully narrowed gaps in retention, achieved record program completions, and improved wages for degree and certificate earners. However, challenges persist. As Aurora’s demographics continue to diversify (28.3% Hispanic/Latinx in the city vs 38% at CCA), the college aims to be responsive and ultimately achieve what it means to align institutional transformation with community needs. At our institution, we fully understand that being an HSI is not just a designation. It is a moral obligation to serve all learners and create systems to improve their success, leading to upward economic mobility and aiding our country in meeting its workforce needs. HSIs like ours are more than a label; we are a promise to all our students, families, and communities that we will create pathways to opportunity and break down the barriers that stand in their way.
The Path Forward: Defending HSIs and Our Shared Future
Recently, HACU and LatinoJustice PRLDEF have filed a motion to intervene in Tennessee/Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. U.S. Department of Education lawsuit, pending in the Eastern District of Tennessee. If granted by the court, HACU and LatinoJustice will present legal arguments to demonstrate that the HSI program is indeed lawful, essential, and equitable. As we mark National HSI Week, let us remember that this fight is not about politics; it is about people, families, and America’s future. HSIs represent a promise that talent, not zip code, determines opportunity. Being an HSI doesn’t just help Hispanic students. Instead, it makes our entire institutions of higher education stronger. Better services, new programs, and more support benefit every student who walks through our doors.
Ending the HSI Program would shrink opportunity, limit choices, and reverse decades of progress, not just for Hispanic students, but for everyone. We can’t sit idly by and let that happen. Educators, leaders, and communities must stand together to defend these programs. The future of our country depends on it.
Dr. Mordecai I Brownlee is President of Community College of Aurora.
