Lawmakers Applaud Executive Actions to Expand Educational Opportunities for Latino Students

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California and other lawmakers are lauding the Biden-Harris administration’s plans take to expand educational opportunities for Latino students.

U.S. Senator Alex PadillaThey praised the administration’s White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the President’s Board of Advisors for HSIs. 

“A good education is the foundation of the American Dream,” said Padilla, co-chair of the Senate HSI Caucus. He issued the statement jointly with Congressmen Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, and Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, both Democratic co-chairs of the House HSI Caucus.

“For too long, our nation has tolerated an unacceptable gap in college attendance and completion rates for Latino students,” their statement continued. “The strength of our workforce and economy depends on giving every student a fair chance at a quality higher education — and Hispanic-Serving Institutions are critical partners in achieving this goal.”

The lawmakers also expressed their pleasure in a U.S. Department of Education proposed rule to expand the federal TRIO Program that supports low-income students, including Dreamers, in transitioning to higher education.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement today will help advance educational excellence across HSIs, increase pathways to higher education, and prepare the next generation of our nation’s workforce,” said the HSI Caucus statement. “The Administration is also taking key steps today to help thousands of Dreamers and other aspiring first-generation students get the resources and support services they need to smoothly transition to college. As leaders of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Congressional Caucuses, we remain fiercely committed to building on this announcement to provide HSIs with the necessary tools to uplift Latino communities across our country.”