The University of Nevada, Reno is moving forward with its application to become a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, even as the Trump administration pushes to freeze funding for minority-serving colleges and universities.
President Brian Sandoval said the designation remains a top priority despite uncertainty around federal support.
“The funding would be great but even without it, it’s a really important designation. So we will be applying for that,” Sandoval said.
UNR recently surpassed the 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold required to qualify for the designation. If approved, the university would be eligible for federal grants aimed at supporting Hispanic student success.
He made the comments Monday ahead of his annual State of the University address.
The administration’s proposal would temporarily block new grant funding, leaving institutions unsure when support might resume.
Sandoval also discussed the ongoing Department of Justice investigation into UndocuPack, a campus program that offers academic support and legal resource referrals to undocumented and DACA students.
“Students can absolutely access the UndocuPack program. Just for clarity the Justice Department referred the matter to the Department of Education and it came the day right before the government shutdown. So we haven’t heard anything,” he said.
The DOJ began reviewing UndocuPack earlier this fall after questioning whether it complies with federal law. Sandoval has defended the program as constitutional and says its services will continue during the investigation.
