by Mark Schaaf
Daily Lobo
Hispanics may have an easier time getting into graduate school under legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson.
About 70 people packed in Zimmerman Library on Friday to hear Wilson speak about proposed provisions to the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2006.
Under Wilson's bill, the University can more easily apply for the Hispanic Serving Institutions federal grant program, as it would not have to prove that at least 50 percent of its Hispanic students are low-income.
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The program applies to all universities where Hispanics make up at least 25 percent of the student body. Hispanics account for about 30 percent of enrollment at UNM.
Wilson also proposed a $59 million grant program for Hispanics in advanced degree programs. Currently, the program only covers undergraduate programs.
Wilson's provisions passed the House of Representatives on April 4. In addition to the federal grant program for graduate students, the bill would provide a $96 million authorization for undergraduate Hispanic Serving Institutions programs.
Wilson said the bill still has to pass the Senate, but was optimistic it would pass with her provisions intact.
Those provisions, she said, would encourage more minority students to apply for undergraduate and graduate school.
"The jobs of the 21st century will require more education than the jobs for our parents and grandparents," Wilson said.
Wilson has pushed for the new federal grant program to include graduate schools since 2004, according to a news release.
There were six speakers at the press conference, including many students of the Trio federal grant programs.
Camila Alire, dean of University Libraries, introduced Wilson as "a strong supporter of education."
"We at the University of New Mexico applaud her attention to this vital area of need," Alire said.
Provost Reed Dasenbrock said one of the biggest challenges universities face is how to support first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds.
Universities need to make sure today's students get the same opportunities for education as past generations, he said.
The Trio programs were funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The programs are designed to support first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income or other disadvantaged backgrounds, according to the Trio Web site.
Wilson said she is trying to bolster the federal grant program, an effort student Jimmy Gutierrez commended.
"The Trio program is an awesome service here, and any support that she offers is greatly appreciated," Gutierrez said.
UNM student Krys Vega was the last speaker of the afternoon and shared her experience in the Trio program.
Trio and other federal grant programs are essential for many students' education, Vega said.
Vega, an intern at Wilson's office, said she was in danger of becoming a college dropout until she was involved in the program.
"I know I will succeed because of the Trio program," she said. "Without these programs, I would have been another statistic."
