Ana G. Mendez University

The federal Education Department is eliminating Hispanic-Serving Institutions and minority-focused programs, cutting $20.7 million that eight Puerto Rican universities received this academic year for research, infrastructure, and student support.

With a student body that is 97% Hispanic, Puerto Rico’s public and private universities face significant risk if a federal lawsuit to end grants for Hispanic-Serving Institutions succeeds.

The increase occurs even though the cost of tuition has doubled, there are fewer professors, fewer students, fewer courses available, and fewer academic support staff.