Biden hosts formal ceremony to celebrate federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions

President Joe Biden hosted a formal ceremony Wednesday to publicly celebrate his executive order establishing an initiative to increase funding for Hispanic-serving institutions and create a board of advisors on HSIs.

Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, which are not-for-profit schools with a full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least a quarter Hispanic, are vital to the goals of equality in educational and economic opportunities, according to the White House.

With Hispanic people accounting for almost three-quarters of the nation’s population gain, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from 2022 to 2023, higher education leaders are urging the president to spread the word about the new initiative, given its potential to help Hispanic students catch up to peers from some other backgrounds.

“Hispanic-serving institutions are places that turn dreams into reality for students across the country,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement on X. “When we support inclusive spaces, we are supporting everyone!”