FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

March 15, 2022  

SAN ANTONIO – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has released the following statement on H.J. Res. 75, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. Congress passed the $1.5 trillion package to fund the government through the end of Fiscal Year 2022. The bill was signed into law by the President of the United States today.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) received nominal increases in funding for the 569 institutions that comprise the largest cohort of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). The funding does not address the decades of inequity that HSIs have historically endured. Below is a summary of appropriations for HSIs in FY 2022:

• U.S. Department of Education – Title V, Parts A and B – HSIs received a $34.12 million increase for Part A (undergraduate education), or a 22.9% increase, for a total of $182.85 million, and a $5.81 million increase for Part B (graduate education), or a 42% increase, for a total of $19.66 million.
• National Science Foundation – HSI Program – The agreement includes $48.5 million for the NSF HSI program to build capacity at institutions of higher education that typically do not receive high levels of funding. For FY 2021 the allocation was $46.5 million, a minor 4.3% increase.
• USDA-Education Grants for HSIs – HSIs will receive $14 million in Fiscal Year 2022, or a 12% increase, compared to the FY 2021 allocation of $12.5 million.

The FY 2022 package increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400, which is the largest in more than a decade.

The package also includes a provision allowing Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding for the construction of infrastructure related to COVID-19 prevention which will aid HSIs in recovering from the widened economic and social gap brought by the pandemic.

“HACU recognizes the important step Congress has taken in funding higher education and ensuring resources are allocated to Hispanic-Serving Institutions,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “The funding of higher education programs for HSIs in the omnibus package for Fiscal Year 2022 is not commensurate to the 569 HSIs and 5.24 million students that we represent. The agreement is inequitable for HSIs in appropriation funding across the board and does not extend Pell grant coverage to DACA and TPS students.”

The package also instructs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to perform a study on the infrastructure needs, both physical and digital, of HSIs, which should include a review and analysis of the condition of HSI facilities, capital financing needs of HSIs, capacity building, and how to assist HSIs to better serve Hispanic communities.

“An infrastructure report on the needs of HSIs will serve as a building block for fair and equitable funding to HSIs in future appropriation legislation. We will continue to partner with Congress to address our underfunded and underserved institutions and the students they educate,” added Flores.

About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, D.C, Puerto Rico, 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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HACU Media Contact:
Norma Jean Revilla-Garcia
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
210-576-3206
njgarcia@hacu.net

Christopher de Hoyos
Assistant Director of Communications and Social Media
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
210-576-3242
chris.dehoyos@hacu.net