LPC’s future as a Hispanic-Serving Institution is in question as its Title V grant, which provides $1.8 million in federal funding, is set to expire in 2026. The potential loss of this funding coincides with legal challenges to race-conscious education programs and ongoing discussions about support for immigrant students.
College president Dyrell Foster said the college is preparing for the transition: “We don’t want students to feel any loss of support or services from Las Positas College, and we’ll do everything we can to maintain the support students receive through the grant.”
Programs such as Puente and Dream services receive state funding and will continue to receive it. Foster said the school plans to combine state and local resources to help fill the gap left by the loss of funding and the grant, but the students will still receive the level of support they currently have.
Advocacy groups, like the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), are seeking to maintain federal support for HSI programs. Foster said administrators submitted documentation detailing how the funding loss could affect campus services, as part of a letter of support for the HACU, but noted that it doesn’t guarantee the continuation of federal support.
The funding uncertainty coincides with the rollout of California’s SB 98 law on Sept. 20. SB 98 requires public colleges to notify the campus if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are present.
“Federal agents would have access to common grounds here on campus — parking lots, lobby areas, outdoor spaces,” Foster said. “But they would not be allowed in private spaces or classrooms unless invited in.”
Las Positas plans to use the remaining federal funds to keep HSI programs running through 2026.
“We’ve requested a no-cost extension until September of 2026, which has been approved,” Foster said. “We have the resources to continue activities through September 2026, and I feel comfortable and confident that we’ll be able to braid some local and state resources to continue those activities beyond September 2026.”
On Oct. 10, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee allowed the HACU to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the federal HSI program. The ruling enables the group to defend the program’s constitutionality and support its role in expanding access to higher education for Latino and first-generation students. While the decision provides colleges with temporary relief, it does not restore funding or guarantee future support.
On Oct. 14, the HACU website published a statement by Interim CEO John Morder: “This decision ensures that Hispanic-Serving Institutions and the students they serve have a voice in defending the constitutionality of programs that expand educational opportunity.”
Foster described HACU’s involvement as “really just providing the voice in court for us,” but emphasized that the move does not restore or guarantee funding. “We’re still at risk,” he said.
For some students, financial uncertainty for HSI programs is not the only issue. The presence of ICE agents on or near campus elicited mixed emotions from students.
“I come from a family of immigrants, but maybe it’s because I don’t look like a typical immigrant, said Ibrahim Shah. “I’ve never really thought about it much, but I have considered it. It doesn’t seem like a good feeling could show up. It’s not a welcoming feeling.”
Foster responded to these fears, reassuring that LPC has updated its emergency notification systems and trained staff on campus protocols.
“We would use our loudspeaker system on campus,” Foster said. “Then we would send out an email to all the staff and students once we verify that there are agents present.”
Foster emphasized that LPC employees have been instructed to direct agents to the president’s office. No one may release information without a subpoena or warrant.
For LPC, maintaining trust will depend not only on policies and training, but on continuing to show students that their safety and belonging are prioritized, regardless of federal politics.
As LPC prepares for the end of its federal grant and awaits the outcome of the court case, its HSI status may face new challenges. The designation, which once symbolized both funding and federal recognition, now relies more on local leadership and campus engagement. For students and faculty, the uncertainty underscores how national policy decisions ripple into community colleges like LPC.
Federal labels and budgets may shift. Still, the mission to support underrepresented students remains constant.
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TOP PHOTO: Students rally outside Las Positas College on March 13. They protest Immigration Customs Enforcement and show support for undocumented classmates. (Photo by Angelina An/The Express)
Kian Amininejad is the News Editor of The Express. Follow him on X, @Kian_Amininejad.
