Las Positas is losing nearly $2 million in federal funding as the Trump administration cuts funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, raising questions about how the loss will affect campus services.
The U.S. Department of Education has pulled a grant dedicated to Hispanic institutions, which for Las Positas was a five-year, $3 million payout. The school was informed on Sept. 16, as first reported by The Independent, that it would lose funding after Sept. 30. LPC President Dyrell Foster confirmed the amount being lost by the college is approximately $1.8 million.
Roughly 300 students utilized services funded by the grant in its first year, and an additional 300 are expected to be served in year two, according to Foster.
“This grant was very specific to serving our first-time college students who are (Latine) and low income,” Foster said. “Within Guided Pathways, it’s helping students ensure that they’re on a path, that they have a comprehensive education plan, they receive the counseling support that they need, but also have access to resources such as tutoring and other support services.”
In August, the Department of Justice announced it would no longer defend the constitutionality of HSI grants. The Department of Education followed up in September by halting discretionary funding nationwide. The DOE argues that grants to Minority-Serving Institutions are unfair because only colleges with specific racial or ethnic student demographics can qualify. Colleges that lost funding were given only seven days to appeal.
“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release.
HSI Director Dr. John F. Gomez explained that the grant was structured as a five-year, $3 million award, with approximately $600,000 distributed annually. While LPC received its first installment, DOE informed the college that it wouldn’t provide funds for year two. Instead, LPC will have to rely on leftover money from the first year to sustain programs through the current extension.
The grant has supported the Guided Pathways initiative, including education planning, counseling and tutoring, as well as a team of students who mentor peers and connect them with campus resources. Foster said it was “disheartening and frustrating” that the program would not continue its full five years, but added that the school will work to sustain those activities.
Karin Spirn, an English instructor in the Puente program, said the initiative had received support from the HSI grant. Still, the future of that funding remains uncertain, as it is unclear whether the funding will continue to be available.
A 2024-25 Puente Program Review found that students at LPC had an 82% success rate. Before the start of spring 2024, 92% of students in active Puente cohorts had completed transfer-level English, compared with 45% of LPC students overall. In math, 70% of Puente students met transfer-level requirements, compared with 33% of students campuswide. Latine students at LPC overall had a 56% success rate in math and a 65% success rate in English.
John Gomez said LPC intends to keep its student ambassador program and dedicated counseling grant funds. He added that staff are now seeking alternative federal, state or private grants to sustain those activities once the extension ends.
“I want students to know the services and support they’ve experienced will continue,” Foster said. “We will find other resources to support them the way they deserve.”
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TOP PHOTO: Students gather with multiple signs during an immigration rights protest at Las Positas College in Livermore, California, on March 3. The rally called for unity and support for immigrant communities.(Photo by Angelina An/ The Express)
Kian Amininejad is the News Editor of The Express. Follow him on X, @Kian_Amininejad.
