By Megan Wehring

SAN MARCOS — Texas State University commemorates a decade-long designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

To qualify, universities must have a minimum enrollment of at least 25% undergraduate Hispanic students. As of fall 2021, approximately 44% of incoming first-time students are Hispanic, said Nick Weimer, associate dean of University College compliance, assessment and sponsored programs.

“That is our largest cohort of Latinx students yet.”

Nick Weimer

“It means a lot,” said Victoria Black, associate dean of student services. “HSI was a strategic goal, a successful one. Texas State became HSI eligible in fall 2010, two years prior to the strategic goal of achieving HSI status and we received our official designation in 2011.”

Toni Moreno, assistant director for Hispanic and first generation student retention in Institutional Inclusive Excellence for Student Initiatives, agreed that Texas State had embraced its designation identity.

“Attending Texas State means our Latinx students are attending a majority-minority institution,” Moreno said.

The HSI designation was created to target federal appropriations for competitive funding programs assisting institutions with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment. Since receiving the designation, Texas State has received more than $48.7 million in awards from HSI targeted programs at the Department of Education, National Science Foundation, Department of Agriculture, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Humanities.