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** OCA Celebrates FUTURE Act
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5 December 2019

Contact: Maddie Schumacher | Policy Associate
202.223.5500 | [email protected]

Washington, DC - OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates applauds the Senate for passing the FUTURE Act and fixing the gap in funding faced by Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). This is a bicameral, bipartisan bill with broad-based support that will benefit students of color immediately as MSIs receive the financial security they need to plan for the future and continue programs to attract and support the academic success of students of color. OCA thanks the Senate for taking the urgent action that was needed as MSI funding authorization expired in September. OCA also supports their accompanying amendment to simplify the income verification process on the FAFSA, helping students access financial aid.

“AANAPISIs and other MSIs play a vital role in ensuring that the students who have the least access to higher education have that opportunity in a space that is culturally competent and intentionally designed to help them succeed,” said Rita Pin Ahrens, OCA National Executive Director. “We are proud of the work that we and our AANAPISI stakeholders across the country have done to secure this funding, but our efforts do not end here. OCA will continue to advocate for level playing fields and increased opportunities for all students to access, afford, and complete college.”

Half of AAPI students across the country attend an AANAPISI. One-third of AANAPISIs have graduation rates for AAPIs that exceed the national graduation rate. One-third of AANAPISIs have active Asian American Studies programs that play a vital role in preserving the heritage, culture, history, and experiences of AAPIs.

OCA thanks Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander and his colleagues in the Senate, Patty Murray, Doug Jones, Tim Scott, Richard Burr, and Chris Coons, for introducing an amendment to the FUTURE Act to permanently extend mandatory funding for MSIs beyond the two-year extension that the original bill provided. OCA now urges the House to pass the amended FUTURE Act or include it in the next funding bill.

View this release online here.

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
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