Mass. college presidents oppose Trump effort to dismantle Hispanic student program

Nine Massachusetts college presidents are banding together to oppose a federal lawsuit that threatens to dismantle a program that supports Hispanic students, according to a Monday statement.

The presidents — from state and community colleges and one private institution — are urging state and national government leaders to support the Hispanic Serving Institution designation. All are presidents of schools that currently have the designation.

Colleges and universities become a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) when at least 25% of full-time equivalent undergraduate students self-identify as Hispanic, among other criteria, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

"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," the nine presidents said.

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However, a federal lawsuit seeks to upend the programming. The state of Tennessee and the group Students for Fair Admissions sued the U.S. Department of Education in June.

The U.S. Department of Justice responded by stating that it will not defend a decades-old grant program against the lawsuit, believing it is unconstitutional.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, which lobbied Congress in the early 1990s to recognize HSIs, intervened in the case in late July to defend the program.

The presidents said the elimination of funding will have a "significant impact here in the Commonwealth."

Eight out of 10 new Massachusetts residents are Hispanic and make up more than 80% of the state's population growth in the past decade, according to an April report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and We Are ALX .

At the same time, the number of Hispanic residents who obtain at least an associate's degree is less than 30% compared to nearly 60% of white residents, according to 2021 statistics from Excelencia in Education.

"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," the nine presidents said.

The threat comes at a time when other Massachusetts institutions, including American International College , had been working toward — and were on the verge of — becoming an HSI.

There were about 11 institutions in the 2023-2024 school year that were HSIs in Massachusetts, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Not all are recognized by the Department of Education.

There are 24 more that are emerging, according to the association.

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The presidents who banded together to speak out against the lawsuit are:

1. Aisha Francis, Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

2. Pam Eddinger, Bunker Hill Community College

3. George Timmons, Holyoke Community College

4. Phil Sisson, Middlesex Community College

5. William Heineman, North Shore Community College

6. Lane A. Glenn, Northern Essex Community College

7. John Keenan, Salem State University

8. John B. Cook, Springfield Technical Community College

9. Yves Salomon-Fernández, Urban College of Boston

Reporting from Daniel Jackson was included in this article.

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