Excelencia in the News

Article from Chronicle of Higher Education with comments from Deborah Santiago, CEO of Excelencia in Education, about how Latino students are higher education's growth engine and how the pandemic that is impacting unemployment and underemployment could keep Latino students from enrolling.

Excelencia in Education held a private forum with institutions to discuss their challenges and needs. Some of the main concerns shared by institutions were whether their students were safe and had access to the resources they needed in order to continue their education. Additionally, schools were also looking at ways to provide mental health support online.

As colleges and universities get ready to wrap up the academic year in upcoming weeks, Hispanic-Serving Institutions are working on long-term strategies as they seek to better prepare Latinos for life after the pandemic.

Less than 10 percent of students at Grand Valley State University are Latinx. That hasn't stopped the university from making them a focus of supports.

Without a focus on the reality between college enrollment and student debt repayment, the total student loan debt will only continue to grow. We know that presidential candidates are aware of the challenges today’s students face, and several have good ideas for addressing them. But voters need to hear those ideas more to make an informed decision about who will be best positioned to put policies in place to better support students toward realizing their goals and preparing for the workforce.

The good news for Kansas public colleges: 1,000 more Latino students will be enrolled a decade from now, enough to fill the seats left empty by fewer white students. The bad news? The state predicts fewer students will earn a degree or certification in 2029, judging by Kansas’ poor track record in graduating Latino students.

Oklahoma State University-- Oklahoma City has one of the largest percentages of Hispanic students enrolled and is listed as an emerging institution for Latino students according to national group Excelencia in Education.

With Latinos projected to make up over a quarter of the United States population in coming years, colleges need to figure out how to best meet the needs of adult Latino learners.

Today, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced the launch of Intermediaries For Scale, a $20 million grant program that will fund 12 existing organizations to help colleges and universities become more student-centered and more attuned to helping “low-income and first-generation students, students of color, and working adults – achieve their educational goals.”

"You can’t just enroll them if you’re not going to help them graduate. The only growth population is Hispanics. So we’re saying you have got to focus on what it means to serve."

- Deborah Santiago, CEO, Excelencia in Education