Excelencia in Education

This week, Excelencia in Education hosted graduate students in AACTE American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's Holmes Scholars Program to offer insights into our approach to accelerating Latino student success, while increasing all student success, through analysis and advocacy for policies informed by good practice.

Excelencia goes beyond ideas to compel action by decision makers and practitioners that increases access to a quality education. We were grateful to join the Holmes Scholars in common cause to share how we are informing the field and growing the number of evidence-based practices that work for Latino, and all, .

Explore our library of research addressing issues impacting post-traditional students → https://www.edexcelencia.org/research-policy

READ🗞️: The U.S. Department of Education has redirected funds for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority-Serving Institutions this year, channeling them into the Strengthening Institutions Program.

Excelencia in Education Co-founder and CEO Deborah Santiago makes clear that this move contradicts Congressional intent in creating separate, competitive grant programs for HSIs and other MSIs with limited resources and disproportionate enrollment of low-income and first-generation students. It also puts institutions with the greatest need under pressure to reframe applications for funding by June 23 while competing with a broader pool of institutions eligible for SIP.

Read more from Sara Weissman in Inside Higher Ed → https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2026/05/29/strengthening-institutions-program-grows-msis-expense

Strengthening Institutions Program Grows at MSIs’ Expense The Trump administration gutted minority-serving institution grants again, dropping the windfall on a capacity-building program for underresourced institutions. MSIs may be able to get some of that funding, advocates say, but it’s still a blow.

How do we ensure higher education delivers on the promise of preparing students for success beyond graduation?

At a time when the value of a college degree is questioned, Excelencia in Education's new Medium post highlights trendsetting institutions that are taking responsibility for graduates' long-term educational and career success — and the high-impact practices they're implementing to do so. By embedding career-aligned learning experiences throughout Latino, and all, students' journeys, colleges and universities that have earned the Intentionally Thriving Institution certification through the framework are ensuring students graduate with meaningful skills, professional experience, and confidence in their next steps.

Explore what's possible when academics and workforce preparation are aligned → https://excelenciaineducation.medium.com/from-classroom-to-career-5e30b89bdb5f

2025 marked a year of significant change in higher education — from new policies, to emerging technologies, to challenging questions about how colleges and universities deliver an education of value. Excelencia in Education's newly released 2025 Impact Report highlights how we led through this pivotal moment, responding to and strategizing with institutions committed to becoming more student-centered as they navigate our evolving national landscape.

Explore how:
📑 our research provided actionable insights to inform decision makers;
🌱 our community of practice grew what works to increase student success; and
🎓 our Excelencia in Action network united more colleges and universities with the common cause of ensuring Latino, and all, students earn a quality education.

👉 Engage with the strategic efforts and impact outlined in this report: https://www.edexcelencia.org/about/our-approach/annual-impact-report

💻 FREE WEBINAR: Join Excelencia in Education, Workday, and South Texas College — a Seal of Excelencia certified institution — on June 4 at 2pm ET/1pm CT for a virtual executive session on how colleges and universities are using unified data and AI to build more connected, student-centered campuses.

The session will explore practical approaches to:
🔎 Proactively identifying and supporting students at risk of stopping out;
⛓️‍💥 Removing barriers created by complex, siloed processes that disproportionately affect post-traditional students, including Latinos;
🌐 Building a 360-degree, “whole student” view that supports intentionality;
⚖️ Scaling personalized support while managing limited staff capacity; and
🎯Aligning academic programs with workforce needs and career outcomes.

🎤 Speakers:
• Deborah Santiago, Co-founder and CEO, Excelencia in Education
• Matthew S. Hebbard, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, South Texas College
• TJ Rains, Managing Director for Higher Education, Workday
• Joellen Shendy, Sr. Director, Product Strategy, Workday

👉 Register Now: https://workday.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ka4KroSwQ4evHynygudcgg #/registration

📣WE ARE HIRING: Excelencia in Education is looking for a Communications Intern. In this paid internship, you will work closely with the communications team to help execute day-to-day activities that strengthen awareness of Excelencia’s research, programs, and national impact. You will assist in drafting and editing content across platforms, support social media and digital communications, and contribute to the development of materials for publications, events, and outreach.

This position is ideal for an experienced leader who is both strategic and hands-on, thrives in a highly collaborative environment, and is motivated to build something meaningful and lasting.

👉 Apply today: https://www.edexcelencia.org/about/our-people -opportunities

Hartnell College’s 25-year journey as a Hispanic-Serving Institution has been defined by intentional design and strategic investment — aligning systems and support to reflect the realities of first-generation students it serves, many of whom balance responsibilities like work and family with their academic goals.

Gayle Pitman, Vice President of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness, and Success, shares some of the lessons learned since becoming an HSI in her new piece for Excelencia in Education's Voces y Excelencia: Leadership in Action series on Medium. She also covers how Title V funding has helped Hartnell produce meaningful outcomes for Latino, and all, students, their families, and the surrounding community.

Explore how certified Hartnell is built for the students it serves → http://medium.com//built-for-the-students-we-serve-38d47f84c161

📣💻 FREE WEBINAR: Join Excelencia in Education, Workday, and South Texas College — a Seal of Excelencia certified institution — for a virtual executive session on how colleges and universities are using unified data and AI to build more connected, student-centered campuses.

Institutions today must serve a post-traditional student majority navigating multiple paths through higher education while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities. Latinos are representative of this majority, and colleges that leverage data and AI to innovate what works for them are promoting excellence that is aligned for all post-traditional students and building a stronger workforce for the nation.

The session will explore practical approaches to:
✔️ Proactively identifying and supporting students at risk of stopping out
✔️ Building a 360-degree, “whole student” view that supports intentionality
✔️Aligning academic programs with workforce needs and career outcomes

🎤 Speakers:
🔹 Deborah Santiago, Co-founder and CEO, Excelencia in Education
🔹 Matthew S. Hebbard, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, South Texas College
🔹 TJ Rains, Managing Director for Higher Education, Workday
🔹 Joellen Shendy, Sr. Director, Product Strategy, Workday

👉 Register Now: https://workday.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ka4KroSwQ4evHynygudcgg #/registration

🎓This , we recognize the importance of not only helping students access college, but supporting them through completion.

At Excelencia in Education, this work is central to our mission. Our research shows that accelerating Latino college completion, while all increase, is critical to strengthening the nation’s workforce, expanding economic mobility, and building the next generation of civic leaders. We also know what works. Institutions intentionally serving Latino, and all, students are accelerating completion and driving meaningful outcomes for students and their communities.

To learn more about our Latino College Completion analysis → https://www.edexcelencia.org/latino-college-completion

New analysis coming soon!

READ🗞️: Who is impacted by the elimination federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)?

In Tennessee, Southern Adventist University — the state's only HSI — earned a five-year Title V grant to improve academic programs in 2023. However, the current administration's elimination of Title V funding has left the institution without the last three years of planned funds for its grant. As Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education Co-founder and CEO, asserts, the goal of this funding has always been to invest in institutions that are innovating to increase access to a quality of education for all students, including Latinos.

Read more from Danielle Smith in Public News Service → https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/federal-funding-cuts-threaten-tn-hispanic-serving-institutions/b6f3492a-fc02-41cd-b701-24f96e983991