Archived: RILEY ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO HISPANIC COLLEGES TO EXPAND ACCESS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE
June 15, 2000

Contact:
Stephanie Babyak
202-401-2311
Jane Glickman
202-401-1307

RILEY ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO HISPANIC COLLEGES
TO EXPAND ACCESS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Key Indicators of Hispanic Student Achievement

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today announced the award of $25.8 million to fund 76 new grants to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) to improve their facilities, academic programs and student services. Another $16.3 million will support continuation awards to 39 additional HSIs.

"The goal is to increase the college graduation rates of Hispanics," Riley said. "These grants will enable colleges that serve large numbers of Hispanic and disadvantaged students to offer an enriched academic experience that will go a long way toward making that goal a reality."

Addressing a White House National Discussion on Hispanic Education, Vice President Gore said today, "This program is part of a larger, overall effort to increase the achievement of Hispanic students at all levels of education, from preschool through college. Education can open a new world of opportunity for Hispanics and other minorities, and this administration is committed through this program and others like it to help those dreams become a reality. We must reduce the Hispanic dropout rate in America. And I will not rest until we do."

HSIs are colleges or universities in which Hispanics represent at least 25 percent of the student population and at least half of those students are low-income. Some 195 two- and four- year schools have been designated as HSIs. About 40 percent of Hispanic undergraduate students are enrolled in these schools.

HSIs confer more than 45 percent of associate degrees and 50 percent of bachelors' degrees awarded to Hispanics and provide access for a large number of other disadvantaged students. Hispanic enrollment in higher education has increased nearly 50 percent in six years - from 782,000 in 1990 to about 1.3 million in 1999 - and Riley said the role of HSIs will become increasingly important as the trend continues.

"Because these colleges have a proven track record in retaining and graduating Hispanic students," Riley said, "their continued success is crucial to meeting the educational needs of the burgeoning Hispanic college-going population." By the year 2050, nearly one-quarter of our population will be Hispanic.

Funded under Title V of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the program aims to enhance the academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability of the institutions educating a significant percentage of Hispanic students. Of the 76 new grants, seven are one-year planning grants to give institutions an opportunity to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and take steps to prepare a Title V development grant application for the following year.

The other 69 are five-year development grants to implement specific activities such as establishing community outreach programs with local elementary and secondary schools; offering special programs to improve students' academic success; purchasing books, telecommunications materials, scientific or laboratory equipment; and supporting exchanges, fellowships and other faculty development programs. For example:

New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas will use a $383,500 grant to increase on-line academic course offerings via distance learning. The funds will enable rural, homebound, and economically disadvantaged students - those who might otherwise not have access to the traditional on-campus experience -- to tap into the educational system. New Mexico Highlands was established in 1893 and is the oldest HSI in the U.S.
Los Angeles Southwest College will use a $377,741 grant to strengthen a variety of student support services that are vital to student success, including orientation, financial aid counseling, and academic counseling. Part of the grant will also be used to set up a computer-assisted instruction lab to support classroom instruction and provide Latino students with greater access to technology.

In fiscal year 2001, the administration has requested $62.5 million for Title V to serve a greater number of Hispanic students attending HSIs.

Planning Grants

ST	City	Institution	Director	Phone	Award
CA	Burbank	Woodbury University	Zelda L Gilbert	818-767-0888	$35,000
CA	Ventura	Ventura College	Sandra Avalos	805-525-7136	$34,730
IL	Cicero	Morton College	Robert Ericson	708-656-8000	$29,048
NM	Albuquerque	University of New Mexico - Albuquerque	Peter White	505-277-2611	$31,039
PR	Guyama	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico	Antonio Gonzalez	787-263-5145	$32,250
TX	El Paso	El Paso Community College	Saul Candelas	915-831-4039	$32,370
TX	Mcallen	South Texas Community College	Aparna B Ganguli	956-688-2069	$35,000

Development Grants

ST	Institution	City	Contact name	Phone	First-Yr Award
AZ	Central Arizona College	Coolidge	Martha Munoz	520-426-4477	$389,882
AZ	Phoenix College	Phoenix	Raul Sandoval	602-223-4011	$381,851
AZ	Pima County Community College District	Tucson	Dan R Chacon	520-206-5086	$372,487
CA	Fresno City College	Fresno	William Baker	559-244-5980	$376,834
CA	Gavilan College	Gilroy	Rachel Perez	408-848-4813	$372,273
CA	Antelope Valley College	Lancaster	Ann Tomlinson	661-722-6537	$381,362
CA	Los Angeles City College	Los Angeles	Daniel Seymour	323-953-4439	$375,565
CA	Los Angeles Southwest College	Los Angeles	Marilyn Moy	323-241-5286	$377,741
CA	Los Angeles Trade-Technical College	Los Angeles	Bobby Mcneel	213-744-9019	$372,950
CA	Merced College	Merced	Don Curtaz	209-384-6227	$377,675
CA	Oxnard College	Oxnard	Rita Martinez	805-986-5831	$376,000
CA	College of the Desert	Palm Desert	Diane Ramirez	760-773-2545	$376,278
CA	Pasadena City College	Pasadena	John Jacobs	626-585-7261	$376,425
CA	Chaffey Community College	Rancho Cucamonga	Inge Pelzer	909-941-2157	$376,070
CA	Canada College	Redwood City	Alicia Aguirre	650-306-3222	$380,152
CA	Hartnell College	Salinas	Cecily Mccreight	831-755-6810	$375,153
CA	San Bernardino Valley College	San Bernardino	Jerry D Horne	909-888-6511	$375,949
CA	Evergreen Valley College	San Jose	Bonita Gibson	408-223-6738	$377,254
CA	California State University Monterey Bay	Seaside	Ray Gonzales	831-582-3847	$359,357
CA	El Camino College	Torrance	Steven Fasteau	310-660-3569	$369,700
CA	Los Angeles Valley College	Van Nuys	Sergio Sotelo	818-947-2795	$373,500
CA	Rio Hondo College	Whittier	Susan S Obler	562-908-3460	$374,551
CA	Los Angeles Harbor College	Wilmington	Rochelle Hudson	310-522-8240	$381,155
CO	Adams State College	Alamosa	Teresa Uyeki	719-587-7400	$379,351
CO	Community College of Denver	Denver	Peggy Valdez-Fergason	303-556-2425	$381,618
CO	Aims Community College	Fort Lupton	Douglas Smith	970-330-8008	$371,834
CO	Trinidad State Junior College	Trinidad	Miriam Zappanti	719-846-5527	$385,865
FL	Carlos Albizu University Cau)	Miami	Sylvia Gonzales	305-593-1223	$356,410
IL	Harry S. Truman College	Chicago	Janel Hastings	773-907-4041	$381,475
IL	Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago	Estela Lopez	773-794-3220	$376,434
NJ	New Jersey City University	Jersey City	David F Trujillo	201-200-3320	$377,864
NJ	St. Peter's College	Jersey City	Alessandro C Calianese	201-915-9375	$364,493
NM	Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute	Albuquerque	Kayleigh Carabajal	505-224-3457	$389,874
NM	New Mexico State University Carlsbad	Carlsbad	Guido Gellis	505-234-9254	$375,994
NM	Clovis Community College	Clovis	Beth S Defoor	505-769-4115	$378,991
NM	Northern New Mexico Community College	Espanola	Felicia Casados	505-747-2142	$375,284
NM	New Mexico State University Las Cruces	Lac Cruces	Ing. Bahram Nassersharif	505-646-3502	$375,000
NM	NMSU-Dona Ana Branch Community College	Las Cruces	Anna Chieffo	505-527-7574	$390,114
NM	New Mexico Highlands University	Las Vegas	Juan R. Juarez	505-454-3571	$383,500
NM	Eastern New Mexico University Roswell	Roswell	Mike Martinez	505-624-7116	$377,250
NM	Santa Fe Community College	Santa Fe	Richard C Rindone	505-428-1658	$376,050
NY	College of Mount St. Vincent	Bronx	Michael Mcgovern	718-405-3758	$227,229
NY	New York City Technical College	Brooklyn	Joann La Perla-Morales	718-260-5400	$366,099
NY	Mercy Colllege	Dobbs Ferry	Joanne Passaro	914-674-7510	$380,150
PR	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla	Aguadilla	Nancy V Velazquez	787-891-0925	$379,000
PR	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo	Arecibo	Ricardo Diez	787-878-5475	$388,453
PR	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas	Barranquitas	Norma Aviles	787-857-3600	$377,678
PR	Caribbean University	Baymon	Herminio Irizarry	787-780-0070	$381,700
PR	University of Puerto Rico Cayey	Cayey	Ram S Lamba	787-738-2161	$356,287
PR	Atlantic College	Guaynabo	Heriberto Martinez	787-720-1022	$363,641
PR	Humaco Community College	Humacao	Ramon Rodriguez	787-747-4705	$371,892
PR	Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German	San German	Glenn R Price	787-264-1912	$377,426
PR	Carlos Albizu University - Caribbean Center for Advanced Studies	San Juan	Edgar J Rentas	787-725-6500	$359,922
PR	Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico	San Juan	Noemi Alvelo	787-780-1411	$377,116
PR	Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico	San Juan	Haydee Venegas	787-725-1525	$375,701
PR	Technological College of San Juan	San Juan	Haydee M Zayas	787-250-7111	$361,500
PR	Universidad Metropolitana	San Juan	Mercedes Casablanca	787-766-1717	$289,086
PR	University of the Sacred Heart	San Juan	Angie Garin	787-728-1515	$375,706
TX	Sul Ross State University	Alpine	Einar Elsner	915-837-8742	$377,944
TX	Coastal Bend College	Beeville	Santos Martinez	361-354-2267	$368,863
TX	Del Mar College	Corpus Christi	Richard Armenta	361-698-1205	$317,176
TX	Texas A&M University - Corpus Cristi	Corpus Christi	Veronica Guerra	361-825-2639	$379,266
TX	University of Texas El Paso	El Paso	Richard Padilla	915-747-5076	$281,705
TX	Texas State Technical College - Harlingen	Harlingen	Pat Hobbs	956-364-4600	$390,800
TX	University of Houston-Downtown	Houston	Dan Jones	713-221-8007	$376,500
TX	Midland College	Midland	Monzella Garcia	915-684-4100	$379,207
TX	Our Lady of the Lake University	San Antonio	Howard Benoist	210-434-6711	$374,351
TX	Palo Alto College	San Antonio	Mike Flores	210-921-5302	$367,871
WA	Heritage College	Toppenish	Margaret Marik	509-575-1228	$371,297

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