HEA Talking Points

Talking Points for

The Higher Education Act Reauthorization (H.R. 6)

The LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC) operates the largest network of TRIO programs serving more than 16,000 students each year at more than ten educational service centers. Even though our own institutional interests would be better served by retaining the inherent advantage of prior experience points for existing projects, we strongly support the provisions of H.R. 2495, the Higher Education Act for the 21st Century, dealing with TRIO because it is the only fair and equitable thing to do. Other projects which oppose these provisions are doing so only out of their own selfish interest and for no other reason.

Hispanics are seriously underrepresented in the TRIO programs. While 30% of the individuals eligible for the TRIO programs are Hispanic, only 15% of TRIO participants are Hispanic.
H.R. 2495 addresses the underrepresentation of Hispanics in a race neutral manner by allowing the Secretary of Education to provide additional consideration to projects that propose to serve underserved populations and populations with high secondary school dropout rates.
Existing TRIO projects will still retain the advantage in grant competitions since they are almost always awarded prior experience points. A March 98 CRS study has found that prior experience points have substantially curtailed the funding of new TRIO projects.
Hispanic participation rates in TRIO have declined since 1977 even though the number of funded TRIO programs have expanded and the Hispanic population has grown tremendously. From 1977 to 1993, when the U.S. Hispanic population doubled in size, the percentage of Hispanics served by TRIO declined from 18% to 15%.
Out of the 5 million Hispanic students eligible for TRIO, only 2% are served by TRIO.
LNESC serves approximately 14% of the Hispanics served by TRIO. Nevertheless we only serve about one fourth of one percent (.26%) of Hispanic students who are eligible for TRIO.
LULAC also strongly supports the Title III provisions regarding Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI's) in H.R. 2495.

For further information contact Selena Walsh, League of United Latin American Citizens, 1133 20th St., NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 408-0060,