Thirty-one percent of student loan borrowers in Puerto Rico are more than nine months behind on payments, according to the U.S. Department of Education, a situation that could jeopardize access to Pell Grants at institutions with high default rates.
Víctor Rodríguez Velázquez
Centro de Periodismo Investigativo
Víctor Rodríguez Velázquez covers higher education for Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, in partnership with Open Campus.
Posted inPuerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico President Signs Agreement with Molecular Center After Report Warned of Risk to Its Operations
The agreement was signed one week after the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo revealed a deadlock with the university president’s office that left the research institution without access to recurring funds for more than 10 months.
Posted inPuerto Rico
Funding dispute puts UPR Molecular Center operations at risk
In ten months, no agreement has been reached between the University of Puerto Rico’s presidency and the Molecular Center to transfer at least $2 million for this fiscal year, threatening the research of 42 scientists and 225 students.
Posted inPuerto Rico
Oversight Board Orders New Fiscal Plan From University of Puerto Rico Amid Governance Crisis
The university has not updated its fiscal plan since 2021. After missing this year’s March 24 deadline, it received an extension from the FOMB, but the May 1 final approval date remains unchanged.
Posted inPuerto Rico
UPR President in No Rush to Restore Diversity Initiatives Despite Federal Court Ruling
The U.S. Department of Education’s demands under the Trump administration — struck down a month ago by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire — led to the elimination of an inclusion committee and the suspension of a census of Afro-descendant students at the University of Puerto Rico.
Posted inPuerto Rico
No Clear Protocols at Puerto Rico Universities for ICE Operations
As Homeland Security Investigations in Puerto Rico does not rule out immigration enforcement operations at universities, professors, students and staff still do not know how to respond if agents intervene on campus.
Posted inPuerto Rico
As the U.S. Military Expands in Puerto Rico, Enlistment Keeps Falling on the Island
The promise of socioeconomic mobility through enlistment is being eclipsed by harassment, discrimination, language barriers and the prospect of looming armed conflicts.
Posted inPuerto Rico
‘2-Act’ drama at UPR Governing Board meeting shows a deeper governance crisis
Amid face-offs, grimaces, accusations of censorship, a push to remove the university’s president, and a maze of parliamentary maneuvering and procedural technicalities, the latest meeting of the University of Puerto Rico system’s Governing Board failed to meet its responsibilities. It did not carry out, with seriousness, respect and responsibility, the public role entrusted to it.
Posted inPuerto Rico
UPR strips protections for transgender students to preserve federal funding
In addition to eliminating inclusive restrooms at the Río Piedras campus, the university system voided guarantees of access and nondiscrimination for transgender students and revised its Chosen Name Protocol, because of Trump administration measures targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Posted inPuerto Rico
Trump administration cuts $350 million in funds, Puerto Rico universities hit especially hard
The federal Education Department is eliminating Hispanic-Serving Institutions and minority-focused programs, cutting $20.7 million that eight Puerto Rican universities received this academic year for research, infrastructure, and student support.