We kick off season 7 of ¿Qué pasa, HSIs? discussing the $507.9 million loss to HSIs following the Department of Education’s announcement to defund enrollment-based MSIs on September 10, 2025. This conversation explores the current state of HSIs under the 47th president of the United States as well as the complex ways HSIs have leveraged Title V funds over the last 25 years. Our guest Dr. Rebecca Perdomo provides key insights into policy research including the ways HSIs have taken an "opportunistic" approach to grant-seeking amidst chronic underfunding compared to predominantly white institutions, with lower expenditures per student and significant deferred maintenance backlogs. We also explore the research on how HSIs promote upward social and economic mobility for their students showing that HSI outperform non-HSIs in promoting mobility. Dr. Perdomo’s stance is clear: racialized funding streams like Title III and Title V are critical to supporting HSIs and the students they serve. Despite the grief and anger over HSI funding losses, the HSI community must fight back and remain resolute in continuing their mission-driven work to support Latine/x students and communities. In this episode we call on HSI advocates to elevate the stories of resilience, hope, and success and to make the case for continued investment in HSIs.

Guest:

Rebecca Perdomo (she, her)

Senior Research Associate & Independent Consultant, Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Justice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-perdomo-phd

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/rebeccaperdomophd/home?authuser=0

Show Notes:

• Generational Jumps? How HSIs Promote Upward Mobility
• Caring vs. Capitalizing: How HSIs Leverage Title V Funds
• The Impact of Trump Administration Funding Cuts on Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/marybethgasman/2026/01/08/experts-chime-in-on-ed-depts-assessment-of-race-based-minority-serving-institutions/

APA Citation:

Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2026, January 11). The $507.9 Million Loss: HSIs Under Attack and Fighting Back. (No.701) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?.