In 1992, minorities represented 14 percent of TCC students, or about 4,500. Now there are about 7,000, and more than 1,000 of those are Hispanic, said Tony Alonso, dean of diversity and civic engagement at TCC.

He and other TCC officials spoke at a Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. TCC has worked to increase accessibility for all potential students for at least the past 20 years, they said.

When Alonso started at TCC’s northeast campus in the 1980s, he hardly saw any people of color, he said. He was charged with creating a climate that values equity, diversity and community research.

“It’s not just a TCC issue,” Alonso said. “It’s a universal issue.”

The college had a setback recently when it sent out a letter that said undocumented students would no longer be eligible for Tulsa Achieves, a program that gives free tuition to academically eligible high school graduates in Tulsa County.

Tulsa Achieves director Tim Fernandez said he was told to send to the letter, but it was hard for him to do.

“I want everyone to be in Tulsa Achieves,” he said. “I want everyone to get a degree in higher education.”

TCC developed a task force to look at the issue and ensure access to all who want to go to college. He apologized to those who feel slighted by the policy.

“I’m an educator,” he said. “I’m not a politician.”

Isaac Hiriat, who coordinates TCC’s education outreach center, said he works with potential students trying to get over the hurdles in the way of college enrollment.

The outreach center, near 21st Street and Garnett Road, has financial aid assistance, enrollment services, career counseling and English classes.

“It just makes that access to higher education easier,” Hiriat said. “And we have been very successful in what we’re getting done.”