{"id":220340,"date":"2025-09-12T07:57:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T07:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/220340\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T07:57:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T07:57:09","slug":"san-antonio-colleges-lose-funding-after-federal-government-deemed-it-as-racially-discriminatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/220340\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio colleges lose funding after federal government deemed it as \u2018racially discriminatory\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 The Department of Education\u2019s battle to root out programs serving minority college students may soon impact all students at several San Antonio institutions. <\/p>\n

In July, the Department of Justice announced it will not defend the Higher Education Act<\/a>, which allows the education department to offer grants to colleges with large populations of Hispanic students. The program officially ended Wednesday.<\/p>\n

While the funding is granted based on whether at least 25% of a college or university\u2019s student body is Hispanic, school leaders say the grants benefit everyone on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not about race,\u201d said David Mendez, the Interim CEO of Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. \u201cIt is truly about access and possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our Lady of the Lake University is one of 13 colleges and universities classified as a Hispanic-Serving Institution between Bexar and Guadalupe counties.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money is going to help improve the institution as a whole,\u201d said Teresita Munguia, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University.<\/p>\n

Munguia said the university has received $12 million in grant funding over the last five years, and it does not fund scholarships.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, it improves the programs that the student is participating in,\u201d Munguia said. \u201cIt helps us train faculty, so that faculty are always on the cutting edge. It helps to develop new programs \u2026 remodeling our STEM laboratories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schools of all sizes benefit from designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, from UT San Antonio to San Antonio College.<\/p>\n

\u201cEliminating those funds is really limiting the possibilities for San Antonio community,\u201d Mendez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will impact not only large universities, but most certainly community colleges, small universities,\u201d Mendez continued. \u201cSmall institutions need those funds in order to continue with their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alamo Colleges sent the following statement to KSAT last month about the ongoing legal battle:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are monitoring the case closely. All five Alamo Colleges are designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a designation that has provided critical resources and networks that support our Moonshot of partnering to end poverty through education and training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed the department would end not only grants benefitting Hispanic-Serving Instituions, but also six other grant programs aimed at strengthening minority-serving institutions, including:<\/p>\n