Veronica Garcia is President of Northeast Lakeview College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Northeast Lakeview College Veronica Garcia President Institution website: https://www.alamo.edu/nlc/ Bio Page: https://www.alamo.edu/nlc/about-NLC/administration/office-of-the-president/presidents-bio Veronica Garcia is President of Northeast Lakeview College and part of Excelencia in Action network.

Guadalupe Acosta serves as the Digital Manager of Excelencia in Education. Guadalupe manages Excelencia's digital communications, including the website, presence in social media platforms, as well as online campaigns. < Back to Our People Page Guadalupe Acosta Digital Manager Excelencia in Education Email: gacosta@EdExcelencia.org Current Position: Guadalupe Acosta serves as the Digital Manager of Excelencia in Education, managing Excelencia ’s digital communications, including the website, presence in social media platforms, as well as online campaigns. Past Experiences: Guadalupe comes to Excelencia with over 4 years of digital and print marketing experience that included work in the public transportation sector bringing awareness to the many benefits of public services. Guadalupe received her B.S. in Paralegal Studies and Spanish and a minor in General Business from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Why are you bringing your talent to Excelencia ? As a first-generation high school and university Latina graduate, I know the importance of organizations like Excelencia and the level of impact it can have on Latino student success in higher education. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am, professionally, if it wasn’t for key organizations, programs, and mentors that helped me along the way navigate the education system and overcome the constant challenges. Personally, I couldn’t think of a better service than playing a part in helping accelerate Latino student success in higher education to grow the talent for America’s future workforce and civil society. How would you describe working at Excelencia ? Working at Excelencia has been the highlight of my professional career. The level of passion and commitment for a common cause is seen everyday with everything that is done, no matter the role and how big or small the task is. I am proud to be part of a very talented team where we all work as one.

Richard Daniel is President of Mesa Community College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Mesa Community College Richard Daniel President Institution website: https://www.mesacc.edu/ Bio Page: https://www.mesacc.edu/about/administration/college-president Richard Daniel is President of Mesa Community College and part of Excelencia in Action network.

< Back to News Page More Latino Students Apply for Financial Aid to Access College, Yet They Receive the Lowest Average Awards Mar 27, 2025 Contact: Media@EdExcelencia.org DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE Excelencia in Education Brief Highlights How Latinos Pay for College and Trendsetting Institutions Making Degrees More Affordable WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 27, 2025) – Excelencia in Education, the premier authority on accelerating Latino student success in higher education, released today a brief detailing how Latinos use financial aid to pay for college and ways that institutions intentionally serving them ensure a degree is affordable. The brief shows Latinos are more likely to apply for and receive financial aid than other groups, yet they receive the lowest average amount of aid. It then identifies concrete examples of how institutions financially support Latino, and all, students, including institutional aid, paid internships/on-campus employment, and robust advising services. The brief, “ How Latinos Pay for College: 2025 National Trends , ” comes in the wake of executive actions that are impacting higher education broadly, including financial aid. It reveals that 85% of Latino students applied for and 71% received financial aid, according to the most recent data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) in 2019-20. This represents the largest proportion of financial aid participation among any group except for African American students. Latinos are also more than twice as likely to receive grants (67%) than loans (27%) to pay for college. Despite demonstrating high financial need, Latinos received the lowest average amount of aid — just over $11,000, compared to almost $13,000 for all students. This is explained in part by Latinos’ pragmatic choices to access college despite a complicated financial aid system. Latino students who attended less costly community colleges (40%), worked 30+ hours per week (56%), enrolled exclusively part-time (28%), or chose to live off-campus and/or with their parents (89%) were less likely to receive federal financial aid, the most important source of aid for them to pay for college. “As the youngest, fastest-growing population in the U.S., Latinos’ increasing representation in colleges and universities provides unique opportunities for social mobility and economic growth,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia . “Financial aid is critical to supporting Latino, and all, students’ access to higher education. Our brief makes this clear and informs what institutions and policymakers can do to make financial aid more effective for our students and ensure access to quality, affordable education.” In addition to detailing how Latinos finance their education, the brief identifies six practices increasing access and financially supporting Latino, and all, students at trendsetting colleges and universities that have earned the Seal of Excelencia — a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment to intentionally serve Latinos: Align institutional aid to provide funds to mitigate students’ unexpected financial challenges. Offer paid internships or on-campus employment opportunities so that Latino students can offset the cost of their degree while simultaneously gaining transferable skills. Provide support services to help students make informed decisions about their college costs. Contain student costs by offering OER (Open Educational Resources) for courses. Advance full tuition scholarships to students with family incomes at or below a specific financial level. Facilitate and simplify access to aid by managing joint admissions and financial aid applications between two-year and four-year college partners. Findings from the brief inform Excelencia’s policy recommendations for college affordability. At the federal level, recommendations include making basic needs a part of financial aid calculations and prioritizing Pell Grants. At the state level, recommendations include investing in guaranteed tuition plans by family income and mandating FAFSA completion. “How Latinos Pay for College: 2025 National Trends” was made possible with support from Lumina Foundation. Access the full brief: EdExcelencia.org/research/publications/how-latinos-pay-for-college-2025-national-trends About Excelencia in Education Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia in Education leads a national network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to tap the talents of the Latino community and address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. With this network, Excelencia accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, informing educational policies with a Latino lens, and advancing evidence-based practices. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org

Kimberly Britt is President of Phoenix College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Phoenix College Kimberly Britt President Institution website: https://www.phoenixcollege.edu/ Bio Page: https://www.phoenixcollege.edu/about/office-president/dr-kimberly-britt Kimberly Britt is President of Phoenix College and part of Excelencia in Action network. Seal of Excelencia Certified Institution: 2023-2026 Phoenix College’s student population of approximately 10,000 represents the diversity of the state of Arizona with 56% Latino students, 76% underrepresented minorities, and 66% first-generation college goers. By preparing students for university transfer and providing career and technical education, Phoenix College serves as a gateway to higher education and plays a central role in the economic vitality and workforce development of the state.

Arrick Jackson is Chancellor of Indiana University Northwest and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Indiana University Northwest Arrick Jackson Chancellor Institution website: https://northwest.iu.edu/index.html Bio Page: https://northwest.iu.edu/chancellor/chancellor-info/index.html Arrick Jackson is Chancellor of Indiana University Northwest and part of Excelencia in Action network.

Andres Oroz is President of City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Andres Oroz President Institution website: https://www.ccc.edu/wright/home/ Bio Page: http://www.ccc.edu/colleges/wright/departments/Pages/President's-Office.aspx Andres Oroz is President of City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College and part of Excelencia in Action network. Seal of Excelencia Recertified Institution: 2024-2027 Wilbur Wright College (Wright College), one of the institutions of the City Colleges of Chicago, is in the Northwest side of the city of Chicago, which has a heavy Latino representation. Of the more than 7,500 students enrolled at Wright, 62% are Latino. The college emphasizes collaboration, communication, and intentionality with a focus on serving and deepening partnerships with the community to serve its students.

Daniel López is President of City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Daniel López President Institution website: https://www.ccc.edu/washington/home/ Bio Page: https://www.ccc.edu/washington/menu/leadership/ Daniel López is President of City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College and part of Excelencia in Action network.

John M. Fuchko III is President of Dalton State College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Dalton State College John M. Fuchko III President Institution website: https://www.daltonstate.edu/ Bio Page: https://www.daltonstate.edu/news/john-fuchko-iii-invested-as-sixth-president-of-dalton-state-college/ John M. Fuchko III is President of Dalton State College and part of Excelencia in Action network. Seal of Excelencia Certified Institution: 2025-2028 Dalton State College (Dalton), located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Georgia, became the state’s first federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2018. Dalton serves over 5,100 students, with more than one third identifying as Hispanic.

Tina M. Tinney is Chancellor of Nunez Community College and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Nunez Community College Tina M. Tinney Chancellor Institution website: https://www.nunez.edu/ Bio Page: https://www.nunez.edu/about-nunez/welcome Tina M. Tinney is Chancellor of Nunez Community College and part of Excelencia in Action network.

Nicola Pitchford is President of Dominican University of California and part of Excelencia in Action network. < Back to E-Action Main Page Dominican University of California Nicola Pitchford President Institution website: https://www.dominican.edu/ Bio Page: https://www.dominican.edu/directory-people/nicola-pitchford Nicola Pitchford is President of Dominican University of California and part of Excelencia in Action network.

Andrés Henríquez is the Director of STEM Education Strategy at the Education Development Center, and Excelencia in Education's Board Member. < Back to Our People Page Andrés Henríquez Director of STEM Education Strategy, US Division Education Development Center, Inc. Andrés Henríquez is the Director of STEM Education Strategy at the Education Development Center, and a national expert in science, educational technology, and policy. He brings extensive experience in philanthropy, having served as a program officer at the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He is deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of underserved children and most recently, led a partnership between the New York Hall of Science, public schools, and first-generation Latino families in Corona, Queens. Earlier in his career, he worked at EDC’s Center for Children and Technology, where he led a partnership between Bell Atlantic and Union City Schools that fueled a community transformation in Union City, New Jersey, and received national recognition from President Clinton.