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Texas A&M University can now access millions in federal funding, crediting the accomplishment to its rising enrollment of Latino students.
About three months after the school was designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the U.S. Department of Education did the same this month.
“It is indicative of how seriously we take our land-grant mission to serve all the citizens of this great state,” said Tim Scott, interim provost and executive vice president.
A school is designated as an HSI when at least 25% of its undergraduate, full-time students are Hispanic. At least 25% of Texas A&M’s undergraduates were Latino in the fall 2020 and fall 2021 semesters.
The state’s shifting demographics has meant more schools across Texas have reached or are near the HSI designation that allows them to access funds that universities can use to help students succeed and increase enrollment.
Before receiving the department’s stamp of approval, at least 50% of a school’s Hispanic enrollment must be eligible for Pell grants — which are granted based on financial need — and average educational expenditure per full-time equivalent undergraduate student must be at a rate below comparable institutions.
The department gave such schools a total of $315 million in federal awards last year, according to HACU.
Annie McGowan, Texas A&M’s interim vice president and associate provost for diversity, said in a statement that the funds will allow the school to further assist students from underserved populations by expanding its educational opportunities, enhancing academic offerings and hiring a team focused solely on maintaining the federal HSI status.
Texas A&M-College Station is the fourth federally designated HSI in the Texas A&M University System, including Texas A&M International in Laredo as well as the schools in Corpus Christi and Kingsville.