U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Joaquin Castro Introduce HERE Act to Address the Enduring Gap in College Completion for Hispanic Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, co-chair of the Senate Hispanic Serving Institute Caucus, and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20) led the bicameral, bipartisan introduction of the Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act (HERE) Act, legislation that would address the enduring gap in college attendance and completion rates for Latino students. Specifically, the bill would create a new grant program to support partnerships and collaboration between Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and school districts with high enrollments of Hispanic and Latino students.
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
"The stark gap in college attendance and completion rates for Latino students in the United States is unacceptable," said Senator Alex Padilla."We need to take action to invest in our students' success and strengthen our workforce. The HERE Act would improve collaboration between local school districts and colleges and universities to ensure Latino students have the resources and support they need to succeed as they obtain higher education."
"Despite the progress we've made in recent years to open the doors to higher education, Hispanic students still face an enduring college achievement gap," said Congressman Joaquin Castro. "As Hispanic students become a larger share of the population, closing the achievement gap will strengthen our workforce and help every student achieve their career dreams. I'm proud to introduce the HERE Act, which will fund partnerships between colleges and school districts to ensure that Hispanic students are college-ready and supported throughout their education."
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Original House co-sponsors include:Reps. Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas-29), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-20), Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.-32), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.-07), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-P.R.-AL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.-02), Albio Sires (D-N.J.-08), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-15), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06), Katie Porter (D-Calif.-45), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.-16), and Jesús G. "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.-04).