Bergen Community College is among the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the country awarded collectively close to $50 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education to continue supporting Hispanic and Latino students.
Bergen Community received a $5.99 million grant through the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) program. Over $28 million was awarded across 49 grants provided to assist HSIs in expanding educational opportunities and improving the attainment of Hispanic students.
New Jersey’s Bergen Community College has a main campus in Paramus, the Ciarco Learning Center in Hackensack, and the Meadowlands campus in Lyndhurst, which features an Innovation Center with several Bloomberg Terminals, a cybersecurity lab, and gaming lab. The college serves over 32,000 students in degree, continuing education and adult education programs.
HSI Designation
The college is designated as a HSI by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). HSIs are defined as colleges, universities, or systems/districts where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25% of the total headcount enrollment.
More than 40 percent of Bergen Community students identify as Hispanic. Bergen Community College students are eligible for HACU’s internships, scholarships, and leadership development opportunities and programs.
“Our nation’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions open up new doors to opportunity and success for Hispanic and Latino students every day,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
“The grants we’re announcing today double down on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in Hispanic-Serving Institutions and reflect our determination to raise the bar for educational opportunity and equity in America,” Cardona added.
Additional Grants Awarded
Through the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) program, 16 institutions received more than $11 million to expand graduate opportunities for Hispanic students. Applicants were encouraged to propose projects to support increasing the number of Hispanics prepared for the STEM workforce, as well as the number of Hispanic educators.
Through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, 16 HSIs were provided more than $9.5 million in funding to increase the number of, and retain, well-prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds in our nation’s most underserved elementary and secondary schools.
Through the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP), four HSIs were provided more than $1 million in funding to support long-range improvement to science and engineering education to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities, particularly minority women, in STEM careers.
About HSI Grants
Today’s grants are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating opportunity for all Americans. To date, the Administration has invested more than $15 billion in HSIs—the largest ever investment. And in July, President Biden issued an Executive Order aimed at advancing equity in economic and educational opportunities at our nation’s HSIs, including by strengthening their capacity to provide a high-quality education to all students.
The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program provides grants to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to improve educational opportunities for Hispanic students.