Excelencia in the News

A prominent national nonprofit that measures how successful colleges and universities are in graduating Latinos is one the recipients of historic funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The $10 million grant that Excelencia in Education received this week is the largest sum the organization has had since its founding 17 years ago.

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated more than $2.7 billion to hundreds of charities and organizations, including Excelencia in Education.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions make up 17 percent of all U.S. public and nonprofit colleges—yet they enroll 67 percent of all Hispanic and Latino undergraduates. That data, published in April, underscores the huge responsibility facing the country’s more than 500 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, so designated because at least a quarter of their students are Hispanic.

Katie Mangan talked to Deborah Santiago, CEO and Co-founder of Excelencia in Education, about one of the most troubling flips in the college-enrollment scene: the decline in Latino/a students, a population many see as key to higher education’s future.

Experts worry that the drop in Latinos enrolling in college could erode years of higher education gains.

College enrollment across the United States has been on the decline for years but in the past two decades, more Latino students have been going to college. Now, the coronavirus pandemic is forcing many of them to decide between staying in school and working to help their families survive the economic recession caused by Covid-19.

Focused on advancing equity for Latinx students as well the future of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) post-COVID-19, more than 1,000 higher education and organizational leaders virtually convened last week as part of Excelencia in Education’s Accelerating Latino Student Success (ALASS) Institute.

Excelencia in Education recognized four evidence-based programs from across the country as the 2020 Examples of Excelencia. Among the honorees was the Latinx Leadership Initiative (LLI) at Boston College School of Social Work (Chestnut Hill, MA).

Excelencia gives the seal to colleges and universities that can demonstrate the effectiveness of practices serving Latinx students, show positive momentum for Latinx students using data, commit to transforming their institution to help Latinx students thrive and use strategic leadership to articulate a focus on Latinx student success.

Excelencia in Education, a Washington, D.C.,-based nonprofit, awarded its Seal of Excelencia to UTSA and four other schools at a virtual ceremony. The certification goes to higher education institutions that place great care and intention into serving their Latino students.