FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2021

SAN ANTONIO – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has issued the following statement in response to the California’s 2021-22 State Budget June 28th Package.

“The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities commends the Legislature’s commitment to higher education by restoring the budget cuts made in the 2020-2021 and addressing the student educational achievement gap,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “Investing in Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships programs, such as Puente and MESA, will help more college students succeed. HACU also applauds the support of undocumented students and increased accessibility to mental health services for college students.”

HACU is pleased to see the package includes the requirement to have all high school seniors complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or California Dream Act Application, the creation of Universal Transitional Kindergarten, investments made in Local Educational Agencies to improve A-G completion rates and addressing the digital divide by financing broadband infrastructure grant programs.

However, HACU is disappointed that the Legislature and Administration chose to remove the age cap and time out of high school requirements only for students at the Community College without any promise in the final budget to do the same for students at the state’s four-year public and private nonprofit universities. California’s community colleges play a critical role in educating Latina/o students, but we look forward to working with all parties to provide the same benefits to students attending all segments of higher education.

HACU also stands ready to work with the Administration and Legislature in the future to ensure the establishment of regional collaborations between different segments of educational systems that would uplift the most diverse and underserved areas in California.

About HACU

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C and Sacramento, California.

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