HACU's 35th Annual Conference Begins With Tips on Student Success Programs

Dr. Antonio Flores, president and CEO of HACUDr. Antonio Flores opened this year's annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference with celebrations of success and ambitious goals to increase funding.

Flores, CEO and president of HACU, said he hopes to convince congress to quadruple promised federal funds and create a capital financing program, similar to the kind used by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“Creating an Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI) capital financing program will provide the necessary funding via federal funds required to subsidize minimal interest rates for HSIs,” said Flores.

Running through Wednesday, attendees of the all-virtual 35th annual conference will have over 50 opportunities to learn and engage with techniques and methods that support the wellness and success of Latinx students, faculty, staff, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

“HACU and HSIs continue to be the backbone of Hispanic success,” said Flores, who has served as HACU's president for 25 years.

To become an HSI, an institution must serve a student population that is at least 25% Latinx. In 2010, there were 311 registered HSIs in the U.S.; in 2020, the number reached 539. That exponential growth is expected to continue.