[2] Excelencia's stated mission is to "accelerate Latino student success in higher education".
[6] Excelencia regularly recognizes programs and institutions that support the Latino community through higher education.
[11] Santiago is a higher education policy and data specialist[12] and former Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
[13] Excelencia is funded through a variety of grants, contracts, events, and gifts; in 2019, Excelencia received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,[14] Andrew Mellon Foundation,[15] Ascendium Education Group,[16] and MacKenzie Scott[17] Since 2019, Excelencia has offered, to higher education institutions in the United States, which "serve Latino students".
[18] The Seal acts as a certification from Excelencia that the institution helps Latino access resources like mentoring and financial accountability.