Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education announced today that 96 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) will receive more than $51 million in new awards to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and low-income students. The HSI program provides grants to make college more attainable for Hispanic students and allows institutions to enhance their academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability.

The grants assist schools in furthering educational opportunities for students through faculty development, curriculum development, academic tutoring and mentoring, and other services.

"More Hispanics than ever before are enrolling in college, and this grant program will help even more students have access to post-secondary degrees and credentials, which are key to building a highly skilled workforce," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Hispanics will soon represent nearly one in three American workers, and in this competitive global marketplace, a skilled workforce is a necessity. The grant program also provides opportunities for low-income students to improve their life outcomes by obtaining a quality education."

An HSI is defined as an eligible institution of higher education that has at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of the application.

More information about the Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant programs are available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html. A slate of new awards for the 2015 Hispanic-Serving Institutions is below.

These grants are just one part of the Obama Administration's commitment to expand equity and opportunity in education to Hispanic students as it honors Hispanic Heritage Month and the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Earlier this month, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics announced a series of commitments, a new report and a set of education data plans outlining the Administration's work to improve the lives of the 55 million Hispanics who live in the United States.

FY 2015 Hispanic-Serving Institutions Slate of New Awards

Cooperative Development Grants
CA Fresno City College $650,000
CA Los Angeles Valley College $650,000
CA California State University, Bakersfield $649,996
CA San Jose/Evergreen Community College District $649,499
CA Ventura County Community College District $649,017
CO Adams State University $649,359
NM Eastern New Mexico University $496,392
NM Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell $582,065
NY RF CUNY on behalf of New York City College of Technology $626,133
PR Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico $649,853
TX University of Houston—Downtown $539,454
TX The University of Texas at San Antonio $649,986
TX Texas State University $647,815
WA Yakima Valley Community College $649,995

Total Funding for Cooperative Development Grants

$8,739,564

Individual Development Grants
AZ Phoenix College $524,958
AZ Glendale Community College $524,784
AZ GateWay Community College $524,789
CA Chaffey Community College $525,000
CA The Regents of the University of California, Santa Barbara $524,847
CA Cabrillo College $524,888
CA West Hills College Lemoore $524,380
CA California State University, East Bay Foundation, Inc. $524,896
CA University Auxiliary and Research Services Corporation $525,000
CA Reedley College—Clovis Community College Center $525,000
CA Bakersfield College (Kern Community College District) $524,229
CA East Los Angeles College $525,000
CA Pasadena City College $525,000
CA Glendale Community College $525,000
CA Whittier College $524,508
CA California State University, Bakersfield $524,988
CA Imperial Valley College $462,723
CA Fresno Pacific University $503,556
CA Gavilan College $525,000
CA Las Positas College $488,311
CA John F. Kennedy University $524,752
CA The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz $524,903
CA Sacramento City College $525,000
CA University Enterprises, Inc. on behalf of CSU Sacramento $486,112
CA Grossmont College $524,960
CA Mt. San Jacinto Community College District $525,000
CA Modesto Junior College $524,835
CA Riverside Community College District/Norco College $525,000
CA Los Angeles Mission College $521,969
CA Rio Hondo College $524,993
CA Napa Valley Community College District $525,000
CA California State University Channel Islands $525,000
CA Riverside Community College District/Moreno Valley College $361,489
CA La Sierra University $524,919
CA Vanguard University of Southern California $525,000
CO Adams State University $518,304
CO Colorado State University-Pueblo $523,640
FL Miami Dade College Hialeah Campus $524,220
FL Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus $522,488
FL Nova Southeastern University $525,000
FL Miami Dade College Kendall Campus $524,373
FL Valencia College—East Campus $525,000
FL Valencia College—Osceola Campus $525,000
FL Carlos Albizu University Miami $524,835
FL Miami Dade College Inter-American Campus $344,234
FL Broward College $481,055
FL Universidad del Turabo—Metro Orlando Campus $524,872
IL Waubonsee Community College $525,000
IL Harry S Truman College $523,912
KS Dodge City Community College $524,971
NJ Cumberland County College $524,918
NM Clovis Community College $524,981
NM University of New Mexico—Valencia Branch Campus $510,372
NY Research Foundation CUNY on behalf of LaGuardia Community College $524,538
NY Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology $525,000
PR Universidad Adventista De Las Antillas $524,932
PR Inter-American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla $524,970
PR Inter-American University of Puerto Rico—Fajardo Campus $493,689
PR University of Puerto Rico at Cayey $522,124
PR Dewey University-Carolina $525,000
PR SUAGM, Inc. dba Universidad del Turabo $524,995
PR Universidad del Este $524,943
PR American University of Puerto Rico $524,712
PR Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico $525,000
PR Inter American University of Puerto Rico—Arecibo Campus $523,266
TX University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio $477,168
TX Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi $524,876
TX Howard County Junior College District $525,000
TX Brookhaven College $525,000
TX Texas A&M University-Kingsville $525,000
TX The University of Texas at Arlington $524,791
TX Del Mar College $525,000
TX The University of Texas of the Permian Basin $524,860
TX Northeast Texas Community College $524,639
TX Northwest Vista College $471,609
TX San Antonio College $525,000
TX Amarillo College $524,948
TX College of the Mainland $524,149
TX South Plains College $524,022
WA Big Bend Community College $524,996
WA Columbia Basin College $524,999
WA Heritage University $524,887

Total Funding for Individual Development Grants

$42,327,077

Total Funding for FY 2015 HSI New Awards

$51,066,641