Seal of Excelencia Certified Institutions

Certified: 2023-2026

Angelo State University (ASU) is located in the middle of Texas and serves over 9,000 students, of whom 37% are Latino. Since becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2009, Angelo State has worked on becoming Hispanic SERVING through a multipronged approach to remove barriers, increase access, facilitate and enhance the college experience, and promote a culture of belonging.

INTENTIONALLY SERVING FROM ACCESS TO COMPLETION

Facilitating college access for Latinos. Working with over 62 high schools across Texas, ASU facilitates college access to Hispanic, rural, and other historically marginalized students. About 33% of ASU’s enrollment includes dual credit students (3,700 students) and 43% of them are first-generation Hispanics. The dual credit program has also contributed to ASU’s increase in Hispanic undergraduate enrollment because the graduates from partnering high schools enroll at ASU. The dual credit program also improves Hispanic student retention. Hispanic first-year retention was 59% prior to dual credit, and increased in 2022 to 71% after implementation.

Removing barriers to transfer. In 2019, Angelo State University expanded efforts to remove barriers for transfer students who were experiencing a loss of transfer credits. The university removed a required minor to allow for more elective credits and flexibility for transfer students to apply courses. This also promoted earlier graduation. Of the transfer students coming in with over 30 semester credit hours, the transfer 2-year graduation rate in 2016 was 46%. With institutional changes, ASUs 2-year transfer graduation rate is 59%. In 2022-2023, Hispanic transfer retention is 78%, higher than the overall transfers at 73%. With higher two-year graduation rates, transfer students also experience a lower overall cost of attendance and less debt by graduating sooner, contributing to ASU’s goal of having students graduate with as little debt as possible.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

Arizona State University (ASU), a Hispanic serving research university with campuses across Arizona, serves over 100,000 undergraduate students with 26% identifying as Latino. ASU’s efforts demonstrate commitment to intentionally serving Latino students while strengthening outcomes for all graduates, contributing to economic mobility and long-term career achievement.

BUILDING CAREER READINESS THROUGH DATA AND CURRICULUM

Tracking post-completion outcomes to inform practice: ASU advances Latino student success by systematically measuring and responding to post-completion outcomes. Through the First Destination Survey, ASU tracks immediate results. Data from 2023–24 shows 70% of Latino/a graduates are employed and 14% are pursuing further education within six months of graduation. The Alumni Survey, conducted three years later, demonstrates sustained impact, with 79% of Latino alumni employed full-time. These insights directly inform program enhancements, employer partnerships, and targeted career readiness initiatives that support equitable post-graduation outcomes.

Intentional preparation for professional success: ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business embeds a four-year career curriculum grounded in design thinking. Students’ progress through guided milestones, from exploration to lifelong career management, ensuring intentional preparation for professional success. The proven effectiveness of this model has driven adoption in other colleges across ASU, advancing system-level transformation and scaling best practices university-wide.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

Austin Community College District (ACC) is a public two-year college serving the Austin, Texas region. ACC is one of the largest HSIs in the country and serving the fastest-growing demographic in the Central Texas region, where education is a key lever for economic and social mobility. ACC serves more than 39,000 undergraduates across its 11 campuses in central Texas, of which nearly 42% are Latino.

EXPANDING POST-COMPLETION SUCCESS THROUGH INDUSTRY-ALIGNED, CAREER-DRIVEN OPPORTUNITIES

Providing economic mobility through fast focused learning experiences: ACC’s Microcredentials program is a transformative initiative that expands post-completion success and economic mobility by delivering fast, focused, and free learning experiences. Launched in 2022, it offers 16 five-week, competency-based courses in high-demand areas like digital fluency and professional competencies. It has served over 3,500 participants, with a 71% completion rate for digital badges, leading to academic credit and career advancement. ACC actively engages Latino students, 35% of Central Texas's population, in the microcredential programs through community partnerships. This scalable model demonstrates ACC's commitment to transforming education for 21st-century workforce demands.

Driving economic opportunity by redefining workforce education: ACC’s Advanced Manufacturing program, first to earn certification from the National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement, offers industry-aligned, career-focused education. Nationally recognized for its adaptability, it meets the evolving needs of the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors. Through employer partnerships, ACC provides hands-on training, clear career paths, and access to high-demand, high-pay jobs in Central Texas's $12.5 billion manufacturing sector. Offering flexible options from stackable credentials and fast-track certificates to a Bachelor of Applied Technology, ACC promotes upward mobility. This innovative model bridges continuing education and academic programs, exemplified by a customized technician program evolving into a U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship, with doubling enrollment within a year. Certificate completions have tripled since 2023. ACC's Advanced Manufacturing program redefines workforce education to drive economic opportunity, with intentional impact on Latino learners and underserved communities.

Certified: 2025-2028

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Humboldt) is the northernmost California State University institution. Humboldt fosters an inclusive, equitable community and intentionally serving the 28% of students that identify as Latino students, creating conditions of success for the more than 6,000 students enrolled. Designated a polytechnic in 2022, this 100-year-old public university remains deeply committed to student success.

LINKING ACADEMIC RIGOR AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT WITH SERVING COMMUNITY

Fostering academic rigor, retention and professional development in community: El Leñador, an award-winning bilingual student newspaper founded in 2013, emphasizes in-depth, culturally relevant reporting, offering students journalistic, multimedia, and leadership opportunities. Beyond producing accurate and engaging content, El Leñador fosters academic rigor, professional development, and inclusivity. El Leñador is the only local Spanish news source and thus vital for Latino and diverse communities in Humboldt County. From 2018-2024, 76% of students working on El Leñador identified as Latino, achieving a 3.20 GPA compared to 2.94 for their peers. Its impact is seen in alumni success and its role in strengthening Latino student academic success, belonging, and retention.

Affordable and accessible education: Humboldt's Green & Gold Guarantee makes higher education affordable and accessible by covering tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students for up to four years for first-year students and two years for transfer students. To further support access and equity, Humboldt provides bilingual financial aid counseling to support Latino students and their families, ensuring Latino students and their families can also navigate grants, loans, and scholarships with clarity and confidence. By filling the gap left after federal and state aid, the Green & Gold Guarantee removes financial barriers, letting students focus on their academics and career goals.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI), Ventura County's sole four-year public institution, serves nearly 5,000 undergraduates, with 62% identifying as Latino. CSUCI intentionally fosters student success and leadership by expanding access to high-impact practices that cultivate professional readiness, post-completion preparation, and meaningful pathways to career success.

CULTIVATING PROFESSIONAL READINESS WITH COMMUNITY LINKED TO WORKFORCE

Innovative community-based approach prepares students with career-ready skills: CI Solutions is a student-run, community-focused business solutions agency transforming classroom learning into real-world experience. It partners students with local businesses and nonprofits on projects like website development and social media strategies, building professional confidence and career-ready skills. These experiences allow students, especially Latino and first-generation participants, to gain professional confidence, expand networks, and graduate with resumes that reflect applied, career-ready skills. More than half of all participants identify as Latino, and of 40 graduates, 34 are employed or pursuing graduate studies, illustrating the breadth of opportunities unlocked by CI Solutions. Students consistently describe the program as a turning point, connecting learning to purpose and preparing them for leadership and professional careers. CI Solutions is a vital pathway for CSUCI students to prepare for meaningful careers and lifelong learning.

Building students’ data skills and confidence for the workforce: CSUCI’s Plot-A-Thon is a signature co-curricular event at CSUCI that sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and prepares students for the workforce by introducing them to the power of data. Launched in 2021, Plot-A-Thon introduces students, especially non-STEM and Latino learners, to engage with data on their own terms. It offers flexible engagement (in-person, virtual, asynchronous) and workshops across disciplines (Biology, Business, Sociology, Math, English) teaching Excel, Tableau, R, Python, and infographics. The program culminates in an electrifying 28-hour data visualization competition, where students work in teams to analyze a surprise dataset and create compelling stories, connecting with employers in the data science field. Plot-A-Thon has engaged nearly 900 students, with competition participation nearly doubling from 35 in 2023 to 69 in 2025, empowering students as data storytellers and future professionals.

Certified: 2024-2027

California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) is a public university located in Hayward. CSUEB caters to the diverse aspirations of its student population and is a transfer-oriented campus. Almost over 60% of its undergraduates were transfer students, and 36% of those are Latino. In Fall 2023, CSUEB enrolled 13,338 students with more than 41% of undergraduates identifying as Latino. The University is designated both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). 

INTENTIONALLY ACCELERATING LATINO STUDENT RETENTION AND COMPLETION 

Faculty development to boost first-year retention. The CSUEB Pathfinders Institute is dedicated to enhancing culturally relevant professional development for faculty teaching critical first-year courses through an intensive two-week program. The Institute includes a Peer Observation Program for faculty who teach freshman, which uniquely aligns faculty who teach the same students, rather than the same subjects. This approach shifts the focus from teaching methods to the student learning experience, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy among faculty as well as promoting a supportive and collaborative environment for faculty to gain insights into pedagogical approaches outside their expertise. The effectiveness of this faculty initiative for students in first-year learning communities demonstrates a 93% retention rate, significantly higher than the 78% rate for the general student population. The first-year retention rate for Latino students in the learning communities was 91%, surpassing the 78% retention rate among their Latino peers. 

Bolstering Latino transfer student completion. The Gaining Access 'N Academic Success (GANAS) Program is a transfer student strategic retention initiative designed to support Latino students’ transition to CSUEB and bolster degree completion. GANAS builds a sense of belonging through a one-year learning community that includes tailored seminars, counseling, and mentoring, followed by upper-division courses enriched with Latino cultural themes and taught predominantly by Latino faculty. Over the last seven years, GANAS has maintained an impressive retention rate of about 95%, outperforming CSUEB's average transfer rate of 85%. Moreover, the program boasts four-year graduation rates that consistently exceed those of other Latino transfer students (91% vs. 78% in 2022-23, and 85% vs. 78% in 2021-22). Recognized for its impact on Latino students, GANAS earned the Example of Excelencia designation in 2018, affirming its role in advancing CSUEB's retention and cultural inclusivity. Inspired by GANAS, CSUEB has transitioned to a similar model of intentional advising, ensuring consistent, non-transactional support through students’ academic paths.

Recertified: 2024-2027

California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is the largest 4-year institution in the San Joaquin Central Valley. Fresno State serves a four-county area with a total population of 1.76 million; overall 60-66% are Latino, African American, Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islanders. Fresno State’s journey as a nationally distinguished Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is one that uplifts evidence-based practices that are serving Latino students, faculty, and communities, while also acknowledging an ability to serve all historically marginalized groups.

INTENTIONALLY ADVANCING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS 

Creating educator pathways to serve local region. Enseñamos en el Valle Central is a collaborative educator pathways program with Fresno City (FCC) and Reedley Community College (RCC) that nurtures future Latino and educators of Color to serve bilingual students and communities across the region. Enseñamos provides culturally and linguistically relevant programing and curriculum for a pathway into teaching, implementing purposeful support and outreach with high school and community college students that leads to bachelor’s degrees and teaching credentials with bilingual authorizations in Spanish and Hmong. Since 2018, Enseñamos has served over 15,000 students; 76% were Latino. Bilingual educator enrollment and completions has increased at all three institutions between 2016-2023. Completion and transfers to Fresno State between 2017-2023 have similarly increased from 13 to 51 at FCC and 8 to 21 at RCC. Enseñamos has also led to increases in credential and bilingual authorizations at Fresno State from 14 to 105 between 2018 to 2023. Completions have similarly increased from 9 to 81 between 2019 to 2023. 

Ensuring access and opportunities to rural communities. Rural communities make up a significant portion of the Fresno State region and school-aged population served, particularly among Latinos. Fresno State is committed to making higher education affordable and accessible for all Latino students. Through the Bulldog Bound Rural Outreach efforts, Fresno State is intentionally serving rural communities that have historically not had strong feeder patterns into the university. Since its inception, Bulldog Bound has enlisted 36 school districts, the majority are rural communities in the region that predominantly serve Latino students. Fall 2024 data reveal that Bulldog Bound participants represented 9% (1,804) of all first-time freshman applicants to Fresno State and 74% (1,343) identified as Latin. This Latino representation is almost 10% higher than university-wide data for all Latino students, which is 65% of all first-time freshman applicants. Bulldog Bound has already had an impact on strengthening educational pathways for students in historically underrepresented regions with one rural district moving from being historically ranked very low in enrollment into Fresno State to second most high.

Recertified: 2024-2027

California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) enrolls more than 39,000 students, of which 54% are Latino—an increase of 40% since 2016. The university prioritizes access to higher education, student success, service to the local region, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. CSUF was the No. 2 destination among California public institutions for community college transfer students in 2022-2023. 

CREATING THRIVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR LATION STUDENT SUCCES 

Increasing retention for Latino STEM transfer students. CSUF partners with nine community colleges in Project RAISE (Regional Alliance in STEM Education). Community College students are paired with CSUF faculty mentors for eight-week, immersive summer research experiences and present their research at a Summer Research Symposium. Students receive a $5,000 stipend for participating. Participants also receive priority registration at CSUF, customized orientation, meetings with peer advisers, support through the Transfer Resource Center, and opportunities to participate in internship and research preparation programs. CSUF has seen a 42% increase in Latino transfer students participating in RAISE and a 53% increase in Latino transfer student participants in good academic standing. RAISE students are in good academic standing after their first year at higher rates than nonparticipant peers (93% versus 88%). Retention of first-year, low-income Latino STEM transfers increased from 82% in 2021-2022 to 93% in 2022-2023. Four-year graduation rates have increased from 51% to 71% from the 2008 to the 2018 cohort. 

Professional development series improves recruitment and retention of Latino faculty. The Conducting Equitable and Inclusive Workshop Search Series provides search committees with best practices to recruit faculty from underrepresented backgrounds who understand CSUF’s values and the students it serves, many of whom are of Latino backgrounds. Workshop topics include: 1) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fundamentals: Focusing on Unconscious Bias; 2) Crafting an Equity-Minded Position Announcement; 3) Creating an Intentional Recruitment Plan; 4) Creating Equitable Evaluation Criteria and Interview Questions; and 4) Post-Selection Strategies. Since implementation, there has been an increase in Latino applicants and hires. From 2021 to 2024, faculty applicants overall increased by 7% and Latino faculty applicants increased by 15%. Similarly, the percentage of all faculty hired increased by 35% and Latino faculty hires increased by 50%. In 2022-2023, 10% of tenure-track faculty position applicants identified as Latino and increased to 12% in 2023-2024. The overall percentage of faculty hired who identify as Latino also increased from 17% in 2022-2023 to 26% in 2023-2024.

Certified: 2023-2026

California State University (CSU) Long Beach serves the counties of Los Angeles and Orange, enrolling 39,435 students. Of these 50% are Latinx and 49% are Pell Grant eligible and/or have first-generation low-income backgrounds. CSU Long Beach focuses on engaging students, expanding access, promoting intellectual achievement, building community, and cultivating resilience and has made great strides toward closing retention and graduation gaps.

USING DATA AND LEADERSHIP TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATION

Driving transformation with data. The Data Fellows program, comprised of teams from various colleges and units, enhances student success by using data to drive transformation. The program illuminates areas of success and areas for improvement and development to increase CSU Long Beach’s intentional support of Latinx students. The Data Fellows advocate for understanding how Latinx students experience CSU Long Beach and the impact of programs and success outcomes. The Data Fellows program developed a Data Literacy Workshop Series offered every semester to foster a data-driven decision-making culture across the university. All academic colleges have had Data Fellows. Since 2016, 55 teams have studied problems related to student success and wellbeing with disaggregated racial/ethnic analysis.

Serving Latinos through organizational change. Key to increasing the representation of Latinx faculty and staff at CSU Long Beach has been the support and advocacy of the Latinx Faculty & Staff Association (LFSA). LFSA is formally integrated into key processes impacting Latinx representation such as in formal meetings with campus finalists. Between 2018–2023, Latinx staff representation has increased from 33% to 38% and administrator representation has increased from 17% to 25%. In 2022, El Concilio for Latinx Success was created as a presidential commitment to Latinx faculty, staff, and student success. An early and significant achievement of El Concilio is the creation of the Latinx Intentionality-Rubric, used to assess the impact of programs and initiatives on Latinx students. In addition, El Concilio worked with Institutional Research to develop a public Latinx dashboard that includes data on the Seal of Excelencia framework areas to demonstrate CSU Long Beach’s intentionality to SERVE Latinx students, while serving all.

Certified: 2023-2026

California State University (CSU) Los Angeles, a Hispanic Serving Institution in East Los Angeles, serves approximately 27,000 students, 75% of whom are Latino, 55% first-generation college students, and 64% Pell Grant recipients. CSU Los Angeles is committed to the success of their Latino students and other students who have historically been underserved. Using data-informed and intentional strategies, CSU Los Angeles has closed the 4-year and 6-year graduation gap between Latino and other students.

ACCELERATING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH PATHWAY PROGRAMS

Scaling evidence-based practices. CSU Los Angeles’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) supports first-generation, low-income students, of which 81% are Latino, to overcome social and economic barriers to higher education, from middle school through college completion. EOP coaches guide students through admissions, college transition, class registration, financial aid, college life skills, and any other matters important to the students. EOP also provides academic support, leadership development, and peer mentorship. In Fall 2021, first-time EOP Latino students retained at the same rate (74%) as the overall campus retention rate. The 6-year EOP Latino graduation rate is 55%, compared to 51% for the overall campus. CSU Los Angeles incorporated the EOP model into the university’s retention efforts for first and second-year students with this evidence of effectiveness and is closing retention and graduation gaps for all students.

Intentional programming addressing changing needs of Latino transfer students. CSU Los Angeles leverages more than 100 transfer articulation agreements, and a growing number of Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) in more areas of study, into an increasing number of guaranteed admissions in response to post-pandemic enrollment declines. The university compliments this with culturally affirming engagements, focusing on multiple support, services, and resources as well as balancing familial affairs and responsibilities with their college enrollment. CSU Los Angeles has achieved two- and four-year graduation rates of Latino transfer students that are higher than their white peers (42% 2-year Latino graduation rate compared to 41%; 83% 4-year Latino graduation rate compared to 80%). The expanded ADT offerings and intentional programming has resulted in high percentages of Latino ADT recipients and earned CSU Los Angeles recognition by the California State University System.

Certified: 2023-2026

In Fall 2022, California State University (CSU) Northridge enrolled about 36,000 students, of whom 57% identified as Latinx, over 70% as first-generation college students, and 60% from historically underrepresented groups, representative of the Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley racial and economic diversity they serve. CSU Northridge’s top priority is to shape an inclusive future as an HSI by leveraging the Seal of Excelencia’s core components of data, practice, and leadership. CSU Northridge is contributing to the national movement of intentionally serving Latinx students while serving all as the lead in the Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub, advancing CSUN’s institutional transformation and supporting HSIs CSU-wide and nationally.

LEVERAGING DATA, PRACTICE AND LEADERSHIP FOR INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Blueprint to intentionally serve Latinx students. CSU Northridge’s leadership launched an inclusive strategic planning process in 2021 that resulted in a blueprint for institutional change. Significant to serving Latinx students, the data-practice-leadership framework informed a systemic approach resulting in CSU Northridge’s Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) initiative that identified over 65 practices that demonstrated evidence of impacting Latinx students. By re-centering the campus culture, leveraging data, and reimagining student services, CSU Northridge has facilitated alignment between data, practice and leadership to guide its journey to move beyond enrolling to serving Latinx students while serving all.

Investing in equitable faculty hiring. CSU Northridge’s commitment to a diverse faculty reflective of its student body is demonstrated by the Equity in Faculty Hiring Initiative developed in 2021 that consists of six critical actions to establish equitable practices that promote diverse outcomes in faculty hiring. The six recommendations include creating a Recruitment and Hiring Toolkit, adopting an inclusive Recruitment Plan, expanding efforts to attract a diverse applicant pool, developing training modules for faculty searches, hiring Faculty Equity and Compliance Representatives, and appointing the Office of Equity and Diversity. Outcomes from the implementation of these actions include: two online training modules completed by 113 faculty search committee members; nine Faculty Equity and Compliance Review Officers hired to guide 41 faculty searches across 29 departments; development of tools to support equitable hiring practices, including a faculty recruitment/hiring toolkit; and an increased budget to advertise on race/ethnicity-based journals and publications. These efforts have resulted in increases in Latinx staff from 33% to 41% and Latinx Management from 17% to 19% between 2018-19 and 2022-2023.

Recertified: 2023-2026

California State University Sacramento (Sacramento State) serves over 28,000 undergraduate students, 39% of whom are Latino. An anchor university, Sacramento State has seen enrollment of full-time and part-time Latino students increase by 34% and 66%, respectively, from 2015-2023.

LATINO STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES INFORMING STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS

Intentional student course scheduling. In 2020, Sacramento State implemented the Hornet Launch program, which pre-enrolls first-time, first-year students in their first semester coursework. This approach to course scheduling allows students to enroll in classes they want and need the most, making course registration for classes more efficient. These schedules are based on freshmen’s survey responses of their education priorities and areas of interest, while taking into account Latino and all students’ responsibilities outside of their coursework. Sacramento State’s Latino student enrollment has continued to climb every year since Hornet Launch began. Furthermore, the program has erased previous gaps in number of credits enrolled during students’ first semester. In Fall 2021 and Fall 2022, the average course load for all students was 14.6 credits, while the average course load for Latino students was 14.5 credits in Fall 2021 and 14.6 credits in Fall 2022.

Sense of belonging through antiracism and inclusivity. Consistent with their Antiracism and Inclusive Campus Plan, Sacramento State sustains a network of campus centers to help Latino students establish a sense of belonging, moving beyond having just one designated space for Latinos on campus. These centers include the Dreamer Resource Center (DRC), the Serna Center, College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), Multi-Cultural Center, PRIDE Center, and Women’s Resource Center. They host campus-wide programming that enriches cultural identity and develops a sense of familia for Latino and all students, including the La Bienvenida annual welcome celebration, Farmworker Awareness Week, and the Chicanx/Latinx Recognition Ceremony. These programs are some of many factors that help achieve parity in retention outcomes. In 2022-23, Latino full-time students were retained at a rate of 80%, similar to 80% for all students, and Latino part-time students are retained at a rate of 54%, similar to 53% for all students.

Certified: 2024-2027

California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) is a regional comprehensive university located in one of California’s fastest growing and diverse areas. CSUSB’s diverse student body is 71% Latino, 79% first-generation, and 56% Pell recipients. With 90% of the undergraduates residing in the local counties of San Bernardino and Riverside, CSUSB is dedicated to defining the future for its Latino students and communities. 

MEETING THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF LATINO STUDENTS 

Removing financial barriers to completion. As part of its efforts to meet the financial needs of Latino, and all, students, CSUSB provides tuition assistance for students close to graduation through its Graduation Initiative Grant (GIG). CSUSB invests in students who are on the cusp of graduation with GIG allowing them to attend during summer session to complete their graduation requirements. The intentionality behind GIG is that it removes a barrier to completion by supporting low-income students financially who must work in the summer. In 2022-2023, over 350 students were awarded close to $772,000 in Graduate Initiative Grants (GIG). Of the students awarded GIGs, 80% were Latino, leading to 1,154 Latino GIG recipients graduating from CSUSB over the last 5 years. 

Fundraising to support Latino student success. A key foundation of CSUSB’s student success pillar is to remove financial barriers for students. In 2021, CSUSB launched a blended fundraising campaign, “Our Defining Moment,” to raise funds from both philanthropic and research and sponsored programs for scholarship funding to support student success. The University Advancement and Financial Aid offices work collaboratively and intentionally to advertise scholarship opportunities in support of undocumented and Latino students. Private scholarship funding for CSUSB’s students has increased from $2 million in 2020 to nearly $2.2 million for 2024. The 2-year average of scholarship support to Latino students has increased by 9%, with awards totaling $2.7 million to Latino students between 2023 to 2024, compared to $2.4 million between 2021 to 2022.

Certified: 2024-2027

California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM) is a regional university located in North San Diego County dedicated to serving nearly 16,000 students, of which 52% of undergraduates identify as Latino. CSUSM is committed to providing accessible, top-tier education to the Latino community and other underserved groups while addressing their unique needs. CSUSM prioritizes social mobility because it has a transformative impact on individuals, families, and communities, empowering students to unlock their full potential for lifelong success by overcoming barriers that may have hindered earlier generations. 

BUILDING THRIVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 

Increasing Latino representation in faculty, administration, and staff. CSUSM's inclusive hiring practices have increased Latino representation among faculty, administrators, and staff. Search committees are diverse with members undergoing diversity training to recognize biases and learn strategies for fair and equitable evaluations. All faculty and administrator searches must have a “DEI Advocate” who completes specialized training, ensuring committees uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. The holistic reviews of faculty candidates consider teaching effectiveness, community engagement, contributions to diverse, equity and inclusion, and experience working with underserved students. CSUSM monitors metrics including demographic composition of applicant pools, interviewees, and hires to identify areas for improvement and inform future hiring strategies. From AY 2020-21 to 2022-23, there were 74 faculty searches. There has been a notable increase in the number of Latinx faculty members, administrators, and staff. The number of full-time Latino faculty increased by 29%, Latino administrators by 8%, and Latino staff by 31%. 

Laying the foundation for Latino students’ academic journey to completion. CSUSM’s first-year experience seminar, GEL-101, lays the foundation for Latino students to succeed. GEL-101 builds social capital, helping establish relationships with peers, faculty, and resources. It also focuses on time management and study habits, crucial skills for handling higher-level courses and reaching graduation. The Career Center engages GEL-101 students in career-focused activities to link majors to careers early, helping to envision professional life after graduation. GEL-101 instructors attend CSUSM’s HSI Summit, gaining insights for serving Latinx students, and participate in a Validation Theory to pedagogy learning community. Latino students participating in GEL-101 had 6-year graduation rates higher than non-participants. In the Fall 2016 cohort of incoming first-year students, 55% of Latino GEL-101 students graduated within 6 years, compared to 32% of Latino non-participants and 39% of all non-participating students. Similarly, in the Fall 2017 cohort, the 6-year graduation rate for Latino GEL-101 participants was 53%, versus 39% of Latino non-participating students and 45% of all non-participating students.

Certified: 2024-2027

Cerritos College is a public, two-year community college located in Norwalk, in Southeastern Los Angeles County. Cerritos serves approximately 31,000 students annually with 70% identifying as Latino. In service of community needs, Cerritos College’s degree and certificate programs deliver measurable value with associate degree graduates experiencing an average annual earnings boost of nearly $11,000 while career technical education certificate earners see a 60% hourly wage increase. 

FOSTERING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH INTENTIONAL SUPPORT 

Removing housing barriers for Latino students. Cerritos College is addressing the affordable housing crisis that affects Latino student success. In 2020, Cerritos opened The Village, California's first community college housing development exclusively for students facing homelessness, after a student survey found that 15% of respondents had experienced homelessness in the previous year. The Village is located near campus and provides wraparound services including case management, counseling, and tutoring. Since 2020, almost 60% of Village residents have been Latino and have completed their degree or certificate programs in an average of 3.4 years, compared to the collegewide average of 5.2 years. Additionally, 14% of Latino Village residents transferred to four-year institutions, exceeding the collegewide transfer rate of 10%. Cerritos is scaling this evidence-based practice with a $68 million investment in future on-campus student housing to accommodate almost 400 students and feature communal kitchens, study spaces, and private offices for case managers, mental health specialists, and tutors to meet with students. 

Mentoring and tutoring support for Latino student retention and completion. Cerritos College launched its Academic Support Keys (ASK) program in 2020 to assist students who did not pass transfer-level math or English on their first attempt. ASK pairs each student with a personal success mentor, a trained subject-area tutor providing academic and holistic support, that meets individually with their mentees at least twice a week. Mentors review course concepts, help with homework, model and promote positive study and time management habits, and connect mentees to appropriate campus resources. The ASK program serves almost 800 students each year. In 2023-2024, Latinos comprised 75% of ASK participants. The fall-to-spring retention rate for Latino ASK participants is 86%, compared to 76% for Latino non-participants. Similarly, the fall-to-fall retention rate for Latino ASK participants is 67%, compared to 59% for Latino non-participants. Additionally, 76% of ASK participants, including 64% of Latino participants, pass transfer-level math compared to the overall pass rate of 45%. Seventy-eight percent of ASK participants, including 70% of Latino participants, pass transfer-level English, compared to the 54% overall pass rate. On average, ASK participants complete their certificate or degree programs in 3.5 years, compared to 5.2 years collegewide.

Certified: 2025-2028

Dalton State College (Dalton), located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Georgia, became the state’s first federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2018. Dalton serves over 5,100 students, with more than one third identifying as Hispanic. Committed to providing an affordable and quality education, 78% of Dalton students received financial aid, 51% received need-based aid, and 83% graduated debt-free in 2023-2024.

INVESTING IN STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND EMPLOYMENT

Removing financial barriers: Scholarships awarded through the Dalton State Foundation reflect a deep commitment to removing financial barriers and expanding access for all students, resulting in a measurable impact on student success that includes Latino students. While scholarships are awarded without regard to race or ethnicity, intentional outreach to first-generation students and need-based awards have led Hispanic students to receive more than $1 million in scholarships since 2020. This strategy supports first-generation and low-income students in persisting, thriving, and graduating at higher rates - evidence of a system-level approach that closes opportunity gaps. The scholarships go beyond access. They are about sustained, meaningful investment in students’ futures. With scholarship awards more than doubling since 2020, Dalton is setting a standard for driving transformation by investing in what works. This approach reflects not only a commitment to lifting all students through programs that remove obstacles but also fueling long-term achievement.

Developing work readiness skills through student employment: Dalton cultivates a developmental environment for student employees and leaders. Students gain experience in various on-campus departments, developing skills for future employment. Leadership programs also foster understanding of higher education and mentorship for campus roles. Latino student workers at Dalton State increased from 25% in fall 2020 to 31% by fall 2023, aligning with the overall Hispanic student population. This rose to 37% in fall 2024. As of spring 2025, 76% of current Latino staff are Dalton State graduates who were former student leaders and workers, demonstrating a successful pipeline from campus employment and leadership to staff representation.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

Florida International University (FIU), an urban, multi-campus public university in South Florida, serves nearly 40,000 students, of which 68% are Latino. A Carnegie Research 1 and nationally leading Hispanic-Serving Institution, FIU uses data, practice, and leadership for strategic decision-making and resource allocation. FIU is committed to outcome-driven strategies for student economic mobility.

PRIORITIZING CAREER READINESS FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY

Creating pipelines to graduate programs and the workforce: The Department of Energy (DOE)-FIU Science and Engineering Workforce Development Program, established in 2007, prepares upper-division undergraduates and graduate STEM students for the U.S. DOE workforce. The program combines coursework, fieldwork, and research, including 10-week internships at DOE national laboratories and headquarters, into a structures academic experience. It has inducted 227 Fellows and facilitated 194 internships. Outcomes are strong: 23 Fellows have been hired by DOE entities, national labs, and contractors; another 19 have joined other federal, state, or local agencies. Additionally, 88 Fellows have graduated with STEM degrees and secured positions with industry leaders. The program boasts a 98% hiring rate, demonstrating its success in preparing highly skilled professionals.

Addressing local needs with pathways to post-completion success: FIUteach is a STEM teacher preparation initiative that prepares highly qualified secondary math and science teachers by integrating STEM content with pedagogical training in a compact degree format. Students earn certification without extending their four-year degree in math, biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science. The program includes recruitment incentives, research-based instruction, intensive field experiences, and mentorship. Partnerships with Miami-Dade County Public Schools provide hands-on experience with mentor teachers. Since 2016, over 130 graduates have received dual STEM degrees and teacher certification, 75% entered teaching, primarily in South Florida, and 73% remained for at least four years, well above the national average. Notably, 91% teach in K–12 schools serving majority economically disadvantaged populations.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

Grand Valley State University (GVSU), a public liberal arts university in West Michigan, serves over 19,000 undergraduates, with less than 10% identifying as Latino. This guides GVSU's targeted outreach and access strategies, enhancing Latino student enrollment through community partnerships, transfer pathways, pipeline development, and transfer support.

BUILDING COLLEGE AND CAREER PATHWAYS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY

Expanding college access through strategic Latino partnerships: GVSU partners with Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) and Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education (ALSAME) to co-create programming. GVSU hosted the ALSAME Conference and was a headline sponsor for LAUP’s 60th-anniversary Fiesta Week, launching the LatinXperience Symposium for educators, business leaders, and families. Fiesta Week attracted over 10,000 community members. For the LAUP Youth Development Conference, GVSU provided college-planning resources to more than 750 middle and high school students. From the ALSAME 2022 cohort, GVSU admitted 47 out of 50 applicants for a 94% admission rate, demonstrating the impact of ongoing engagement. Participants receive continued advising and financial aid support, transforming single-day events into lasting pipelines, creating a framework that links outreach, affordability, and data stewardship to support Latino students.

Collaborations to boost college enrollment and workforce development: Since 2019, GVSU and Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) have partnered to enhance college and career readiness, especially in education, healthcare, and STEM. This collaboration, featuring camps and dual enrollment, has boosted graduation and college enrollment. A holistic advising program on GVSU's campus supports BCPS students with academics, skills, and resources like mentors. Notably, 71% of BCPS attendees are students of color, with 13% Latino. The Battle Creek Scholars program exemplifies this success, with a 93% retention rate across six cohorts and 30% Latino participation. This program provides academic, social, and financial support, leading to persistence and degree completion. Of 2024-25 graduates, 40% were Latino, with half returning to Battle Creek, 20% pursuing advanced degrees, and 30% securing West Michigan jobs, showcasing the program's effectiveness in career readiness, regional talent development, and long-term success.

Certified: 2024-2027

Hartnell College’s main campus is in Salinas, California with a service area that spans about 90 miles through the heart of the Salinas Valley. Approximately 80% of the Salinas community identifies as Latino and 75% of residents speak Spanish as their primary language, with high poverty rates and low levels of educational attainment. Hartnell College addresses the needs of its Latino community and student population through a structural, programmatic, and community-focused approach, enrolling approximately 12,000 students annually, with 83% identifying as Latino and 75% enrolling part-time due to family and work obligations. 

MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE FOR POST-COMPLETION SUCCESS 

Creating pathways of success in the tech industry. Hartnell’s Computer Science in 3 (CSin3) is a partnership between CSU Monterey Bay and Hartnell College, and a part of a larger statewide Computing Talent Initiative designed to increase the number of computer science graduates. The program offers a pre-defined course pathway to earn a BS degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Software Engineering in 3 years. CSin3 is recognized for its cohort-based model and extensive student support which have improved transfer and graduation rates with an 85% transfer rate to CSUMB within just 1.5 years and a 68% graduation rate within three years. Since its inception in 2013, 80% of the students have been Latino and 80% of those Latino students graduated within 3 years. Additionally, 86% of graduates secure gainful employment within a year of completing the program.

Partnerships to equip students with knowledge, skills, and workforce experience. The STEM Internship Program, now in its eighteenth year, has led to a new college-wide internship program for all majors. The STEM Internship Program offers students hands-on experience in their chosen fields through partnerships with local businesses. Internships help students apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges and build professional networks. To support underserved Latino students and those with full-time jobs, 25-hour faculty-led research projects (micro-internships) were established as were 65-75-hour paid nano-internships, led by faculty or industry professionals. These serve as steppingstones to full-time 8 to 10-week external internships. Over 80% of interns are Latino, reflecting the college's demographics. From 2016 to 2023, 67% of interns transferred to 4-year colleges, 54% earned their Associate of Science degrees, and 16% remained enrolled at Hartnell College. Building on this success, in 2023-2024, a new college-wide internship program was launched to extend these opportunities to all students. Interns in 2023-2024 were 93% Latino and 44% were female, aligning with Hartnell’s student demographics.

Recertified: 2023-2026

Long Beach City College (LBCC) is the fourth-largest community college in California, serving nearly 24,000 undergraduate students. In 2023, over half (56%) of their students served were Latino, compared to 36% in 2010.

LINKING FIRST-YEAR ENROLLMENT AND COURSE SUCCESS METRICS TO INTENTIONALLY SERVE

Multi-tiered partnership strategy for first-year enrollment. LBCC serves Latino students through enrollment with systemic and interpersonal approaches. The Long Beach College Promise is a partnership among Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), LBCC, and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), wherein partners work as one system to help students transition between institutions. At LBCC, this means that eligible students can attend tuition-free for their first year. To complement this financial incentive, LBCC has increased direct student support offered to LBUSD students. For example, in five high schools with high proportions of Latino students, LBCC is implementing a case management approach to enrollment, as well as piloting a compulsory college application process for graduating seniors. The combination of these strategies has contributed to a 25% increase since 2019 in the number of Latino students from LBUSD who enroll at LBCC immediately following high school graduation.

Course success rates as a proxy for retention. LBCC is ensuring that faculty and staff play a pivotal role in retention efforts. Academic departments and campus leadership review course success data annually, with an intentional focus on Latino student outcomes. Faculty also participate in communities of practice, which offer spaces to engage in dialogue around the improvement of students’ course success outcomes, as well as strategic professional development opportunities in equitable grading, trauma-informed student support, and culturally responsive curriculum approaches. Faculty and staff ensure that students participate in embedded tutoring, learning communities, and programs like LBCC’s First-Year Experience. Latino participants in First-Year Experience are over three-times more likely to complete transfer-level math and English compared to Latinos who do not participate.  

Recertified: 2025-2028

Mercy University continues to serve Latino students as the largest Hispanic-Serving Institution in the New York region, enrolling almost 6,800 students of which 48% identify as Latino. Celebrating 25 years as an HSI, Mercy University deepens their commitment to continue intentionally serving Latino students to completion and upward mobility as they intentionally continue to serve all their students.

GUIDING STUDENTS ALONG PERSONALIZED PATHS TO UPWARD MOBILITY

Personalized advising driven by data: Since its launch in 2009, Mercy’s team of professional advisors has driven historic increases in student retention and graduation rates. By providing personalized academic advising – plus guidance on major-to-career exploration, financial literacy, and co-curricular engagement – Mercy’s advisors offer steady support from orientation day to commencement. By keeping caseloads small, advisors know students well and closely monitor key data points to intervene. As a result, Mercy has seen double-digit increases and the elimination of equity gaps in retention rates and new record highs on graduation. The next phase of Mercy’s advising efforts involves more robust use of predictive analytics, a concentrated focus on building student autonomy, and cohort-based experiences.

Deeping student learning for post-completion success: Mercy’s investment in curricular reform is yielding positive outcomes for students and positioning them for bright, productive futures. A revamped General Education curriculum, an enhanced First-Year Experience, and a new work-based experience requirement are deepening student learning and tying together the curriculum to ensure all students thrive. In one year alone, the percentage of students attempting 30 credits in freshman year increased by 10 percentage points. A new First-Year Seminar eliminated equity gaps that were present in the course it replaced. Redesigned curricula and hybrid course formats are making it so that busy working students can fit higher education into the rest of their lives. Every Mercy student is now experiencing a future-ready curriculum that will set them apart as they enter the rapidly changing world of work.

Certified: 2023-2026

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) is a public comprehensive university offering a relevant, rigorous and innovative education in the heart of downtown Denver. The university serves 17,000 students of all ages and backgrounds with more than 90 majors and 10 graduate programs. MSU Denver, the most diverse institution in the state, serves 15,682 undergraduates, of which 95% are from Colorado and 54% are students of color, including 36% Latinx.

CREATING CLASSROOMS WHERE LATINO STUDENTS THRIVE

Supporting faculty development to serve Latinx students. MSU Denver provides professional development opportunities in culturally responsive teaching that prioritize serving Latinx students and the institutional community to reinforce the vital role that faculty and staff play in creating an inclusive and supportive environment for Latinx students. Partnering with entities like ESCALA and ACUE, MSU Denver focuses on enhancing teaching practices and cultural responsiveness and the use of evidence-based teaching practices to drive student engagement, retention, and learning. To date, a total of 137 instructors, five cohorts, have engaged with the ACUE programming, consisting of 70% white and 11% Latino.

Faculty mentoring increasing Latino student retention. The MSU Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program employs students in roles that connect them with a faculty member in their field of study to support teaching and learning in the classroom. TAs gain personally and professionally from mentoring and training opportunities. Students in TA-supported courses also gain from engaging with and learning from a more advanced peer, who can better relate to their challenges. MSU Denver intentionally selects TAs to reflect the general student population, with 24%-36% of all TAs identifying as Latino between Fall 2020 and Spring 2023. Latino student retention in TA-supported courses increased from 69% to 76% between Fall 2020 and Spring 2022, compared to university-wide retention from 66% to 69%, and overall Latino retention from 65% to 69% for the same period. Initially implemented with specialized funding during the pandemic, MSU Denver has institutionalized the TA program to continue increasing Latino, and all, student retention.

Recertified: 2024-2027

Miami Dade College (MDC) consists of eight campuses and multiple outreach centers in Miami-Dade County in Florida. MDC serves a percentage of Hispanic students that is slightly higher than the 70% of Hispanic residents that reside in the county— enrolling 74,937 credit-seeking students, 77% of whom are Hispanic. MDC students are 58% first-generation college students, 68% identified as low-income, 63% attend college part-time, and 73% work while attending college. 

SUPPORTING LATINO STUDENTS TO COMPLETION AND BEYOND 

Advising model improves Latino student retention. MDC’s goal is to help students develop a sense of belonging; this positively impacts retention while providing a variety of student support services to help their diverse Latino population succeed. Credit-seeking students at MDC are assigned an advisor who helps with career exploration, academic plan development and progress, and identifying support (e.g., librarians or tutors) for course success. The advisor also assists with graduation and transfer preparation including selecting a university, preparing to transition, budgeting, and financial aid and scholarship assistance. The implementation of the new advisement model resulted in an increase of 6% in fall-to-fall retention for full-time students and an increase of 9% increase for part-time students. Latino full-time students continue to have higher retention rates with a 79% retention rate in 2021-22 and a 75% retention rate in 2022-23. Retention rates for all part-time students has increased to 54% and 55% for Latino part-time students, from 45% and 47%, respectively, in 2021-22. 

Increasing completion rates with stackable credentials. MDC students can earn a credential (e.g., a College Credit or Career Technical Certificate) in their first year of enrollment and use that credential to find employment while continuing enrollment towards an AA or AS degree, eventually leading to a baccalaureate degree. The 72 college credit certificates, 35 career technical certificates, 49 industry certifications, 65 associate in science degrees, and 17 baccalaureate degrees that MDC offers can be stacked to create coherent academic and career pathways with multiple entry and exit points for its Latino, and all, students. MDC’s Stackable Credentials Model has increased completion rates for all students. In 2016-17, more than 1,200 students, 89% of which were Latino, completed a credit certification. In 2022-23, more than 8,000 students, 78% of which are Latino, completed a credit certification. This model has resulted in an increase of Latino completers from 848 in 2016-17 to 6,408 in 2022-23.

Certified: 2023-2026

Phoenix College’s student population of approximately 10,000 represents the diversity of the state of Arizona with 56% Latino students, 76% underrepresented minorities, and 66% first-generation college goers. By preparing students for university transfer and providing career and technical education, Phoenix College serves as a gateway to higher education and plays a central role in the economic vitality and workforce development of the state.

REMOVING BARRIERS TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS

Engaging students and families for college access and completion. Intentional contact with families throughout the program means multiple generations are learning about higher education and how to navigate the challenges to and through college. Phoenix College’s Achieving College Education (ACE) program uses intensive and intentional strategies to assist underserved and at-risk students transition from high school to community college and to a university. ACE’s success is based on providing cohort classes, a bilingual staff, and required student and family activities designed to remove barriers such as financial aid, tax preparation, and career workshops. Families are also responsible for completing 10 hours per term of workshops and meetings with ACE staff and faculty. The program currently serves 447 students, 86% of whom are Latino, 59% Latina, and 85% first-generation college goers. ACE has a 99% graduation rate.

Increasing Latino representation in STEM.

Phoenix College’s course-based undergraduate research (CURE) equips Latino students with critical research experience in STEM fields, facilitating transfer to and success at a 4-year institution. Through CURE, Phoenix College is ensuring that their Latino STEM students have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research, usually inaccessible to community college students. In addition to gains in science identity, communication skills, and self-efficacy, CUREs are impactful in supporting students across a number of student outcomes including persistence in science, increasing transfer rates to STEM degrees at 4-year universities, completion, and entry into STEM careers. More than 700 students have participated in CURE since Fall 2019. Nearly 61% of students are Latino. Latino CURE completers transfer to 4-year universities at almost double the rate of peers not completing a CURE (67% versus 35%). Given CURE’s success in Latino transfer and completion, Phoenix College has expanded the program to include other majors in both STEM and non-STEM pathways.

Certified: 2024-2027

Pima Community College (PCC) is located just one-hour north of the U.S.-Mexico border in Tucson, Arizona. The PCC student population reflects 49% Latino, of which 66% attend part-time and 33% attend full-time. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution dedicated to fostering pathways to high-skill, high-wage jobs, PCC has undertaken a strategic approach to align their educational offerings with the needs of the local labor market, presenting significant opportunities for social and economic mobility, particularly to its Latino community. 

SERVING LATINO STUDENTS WITH EXCELLENCE AND INCLUSIVITY 

Building cultural wealth and success skills of Latino males. The MoCAP program aims to build and increase Men of Color (MoC) students’ cultural community wealth and vital student success skills, expanding support across the entire student’s experience at PCC. Using a relationship-rich and strength-based holistic coaching style, MoCAP aids in dismantling barriers and stigmas that many MoC face in higher education, leveraging various forms of capital -navigational, social, familial, aspirational, resistance, and linguistic - to support their academic preparation, personal growth, community engagement, and career readiness. Services are delivered through one-on-one coaching sessions, referrals to campus allies, and presentations from internal and external resources and services. MoCAP allows participants to foster a sense of community and build brotherhood amongst themselves and staff. Two leading indicators demonstrate MoCAP’s impact on PCC Latino students. Latino MoCAP students are less likely to have the lowest term GPA (8 %) than their Latino non—participating peers (20%). There is also a 20% increase in MoCAP Latino students attending full-time compared to non-participating students (57% versus 36%). 

Fostering thriving classrooms for Latino student success. PCC is increasing retention rates of Latino, and all, students by embedding tutors in challenging courses like IT, math, and science. These classrooms foster supportive and collaborative environments, encouraging persistence and resilience aligned to PCC’s Culture of Care. The embedded tutors provide immediate, personalized assistance that helps students grasp difficult concepts, enhance their problem-solving skills, and remain engaged in the learning process. This practice has impacted retention rates by increasing productive grade rates (grades between A-C) for Latino students in the classes with embedded tutors. In Fall 2022, Latino students in classes with embedded tutors had a 71% productive grade rate compared to 69% for Latinos in classes with no embedded tutors. In Spring 2023, the productive grade rates for Latinos in classes with embedded tutors was 78% compared to 71% of Latinos in non-embedded classes. In Summer 2023, the productive grade rate for Latino students in classes with embedded tutors was 80% compared to a productive grade rate of 76% for Latinos enrolled in classes without embedded tutors.

Certified: 2023-2026

Richard J. Daley College (Daley College) serves over 8,000 students annually with 4,823 enrolled in credit programs, 2,832 enrolled in adult education courses, and 626 enrolled in continuing education. Latinos represent 77% of students. Daley College empowers its diverse community through innovative, high-quality and affordable education in a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for life-long learning.

INTENTIONAL PROGRAMMING TO SERVE LATINO STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY NEEDS

Responding to Latino community workforce and health needs. Daley College’s Community Health Worker program is a partnership with area community health organizations increasing the number of Spanish-speaking certified community health workers in Chicago. In partnership with Enlace Chicago in 2018, Daley developed an English/Spanish college-level basic certificate for Community Health Worker that offers wrap around services to students in cohorts, resulting in high retention rates. Three cohorts have completed the program as of Summer 2022 with a retention and completion rate of 95% and all students identifying as Latinos. Recognizing this evidence-based practice, the Latino Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders Alliance added Daley College as a sub-awardee on a Health Resources and Services Administration grant to train 165 community members over 3 years. Out of 83 organizations awarded, Daley is one of a few training Latinos in a bilingual format. Daley College continues to grow the Community Health Worker program, addressing community needs in both workforce and access to healthcare.

Facilitating seamless transitions for Latino economic mobility. Daley College’s Adult Education Bridge Program is a powerful force in empowering Latino and female students to achieve their career aspirations by facilitating a seamless transition of adult education students, GED and English-language learners into college credit programs. With an enrollment of 70% Latino and 75% female, the program effectively addresses its participants' diverse needs and interests, specifically in Manufacturing, Early Childhood Education, and Health Science. The program's growth of 30% in the last fiscal year, coupled with an impressive 90% persistence rate, highlights its effectiveness in serving students with guidance and support in their native language and in a cultural context. Daley College’s Gateway program further supports Latino students financially by providing 50% tuition scholarships to high school equivalency and ESL students. Daley College is intentionally addressing educational and financial barriers through its intentional programming to foster improved economic mobility for its Latino, and all, students.

Certified: 2025-2028

Rutgers University-Newark (Rutgers-Newark) is an urban public research university, a Hispanic-Serving Institution as well as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution. It serves nearly 8,000 students, with 35% identifying as Hispanic. Rutgers-Newark attracts and cultivates talent on many levels, ranging from first-generation and continuing-generation students to faculty who embrace the opportunity to produce high-impact scholarship and prepare students for professional success and informed citizenship.

CULTIVATING A MORE RIGOROUS AND INCLUSIVE ACADEMIC CULTURE

Reimagining academic excellence: Rutgers-Newark's Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) is a nationally recognized program that reimagines academic excellence through inclusive, community-centered values. It holistically recruits and admits students, prioritizing lived experiences and civic commitment. HLLC intentionally enrolls and supports students reflective of Newark, particularly Latino and other marginalized groups, providing opportunities to develop as socially conscious leaders. Its 19-credit interdisciplinary curriculum covers civil rights, race, gender, environmental justice, and democracy, culminating in a capstone. Students engage in internships, research, and service. Support structure includes near-peer mentoring and high school outreach. HLLC's effectiveness is evident in enrollment and retention data: Latino representation rose from 34% to 46%, with a 40% five-year average. Retention rates consistently exceeded 90%, with Latino students achieving 100% in 2021–22 and 2024–25, demonstrating HLLC’s success in fostering academic persistence, leadership, and community engagement among underrepresented students.

Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive excellence: Rutgers-Newark’s Faculty Cluster Hire initiative strategically recruits diverse faculty around shared scholarly themes, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive excellence. The initiative aims to establish Rutgers-Newark as a national center of excellence in Latino Studies and enhance Latino student success by increasing faculty representation. A recent cluster, “Identities, Injustice, and Power in the Latinx Diaspora,” successfully hired five Latino faculty. These scholars contribute to research, teaching, and community engagement, mentoring students and enriching curricula with culturally relevant content. Hired faculty have expanded research capacity in areas like international policy, environmental justice, health and well-being, and religious studies. Evidence of effectiveness includes a 103% increase in Latino tenure-track junior faculty representation (6% in 2020–21 to 13% in 2024–25) and a 32% increase in total Latino faculty hires. These outcomes demonstrate how intentional hiring cultivates an inclusive academic culture, positioning Rutgers-Newark as a national model.

Recertified: 2025-2028

San Antonio College (SAC) is a public, two-year Hispanic-Serving Institution located in San Antonio, Texas, where Latinos comprise 65% of the community. SAC serves over 19,000 students with Latinos representing 70% of the student population. Over the past three years, SAC’s strategic priorities have guided institutional efforts leading to expanded services and improved persistence and post-completion success rates, benefiting Latino students as well as the entire student population and local community.

CULTIVATING SUCCESS THROUGH ACCESSIBLE INDUSTRY-ALIGNED PATHWAYS

Providing clear pathways to economic advancement: San Antonio College (SAC) intentionally targets its enrollment growth strategy by focusing on high-need student populations and high-wage, high-opportunity programs that foster economic mobility, especially for those balancing work and family. For example, SAC has strategically managed three high opportunity programs showing significant impact: Court Reporting increased from 183 students in 2022 to 387 in 2025; Nursing, after reducing enrollment from 928 (2021-2022) to 420 (2023-2024), improved persistence and success; and Professional Accounting's new certificate enrolled 75 students. These programs significantly serve Latino populations (Court Reporting 68%, Nursing 60%, Professional Accounting 41%), demonstrating SAC's commitment to providing accessible pathways to high-demand careers that support economic advancement for underserved communities.

Aligning with high-opportunity industries for tangible employment outcomes: SAC strategically supports student personal, academic, and career success through stackable credentials like occupational skills awards, certificates, associate and bachelor's degrees, and micro-credentials. This strategy provides flexible, industry-aligned pathways for students to earn workforce-relevant qualifications while working toward higher degrees. Key to this approach is providing SAC students, many of whom balance work and family responsibilities, with opportunities to upskill, secure employment, and advance their careers. Programs align with high-opportunity industries, ensuring employment outcomes. SAC launched Marketable Skills badging in Fall 2023, awarding over 250,000 badges to 12,000 learners by August 2025, with economically and academically disadvantaged students earning badges at higher rates. Since implementing stackable credentials, traditional degrees and certificates increased 11% in 2023-24, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing awards rose 117%. This approach reduces barriers to degree completion and promotes economic mobility, reinforcing SAC's commitment to accessible, meaningful education.

Recertified: 2024-2027

San Diego State University (SDSU) has continued its commitment to intentionally serve Latino students and the Latino community through focused areas of effort—a cornerstone to its 2020-2025 strategic plan. SDSU serves more than 33,000 students with 35% of the students identifying as Latino. Of these, more than 50% are eligible for the federal Pell grant. SDSU stands out as one of the nation's premier Hispanic-Serving, Hispanic-Thriving research universities. 

INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND CARE FOR LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 

Targeted Engagement of Latino Transfer Students. Campus partners at SDSU collaborate to implement recruitment activities that target and effectively engaged Latino transfer prospective students and families. These activities include the Adelante Tours, a campus tour dedicated to learning more about Latinx/Chicanx student experience, and Descubriendo IV, a prospective student event to learn more about Imperial Valley Campus. Specifically for transfer students, SDSU offers Explore SDSU, Transfer Student Welcome Breakfast, Transfer Student Mixer, Transfer Student Allies Panel; all coordinated with offices across the entire university. These concerted efforts offer high-quality experiences for prospective and admitted students to intentionally coordinate tailored events to address the diverse incoming student population while showcasing SDSU’s vibrant campus community. With intentional outreach activities and increased engagement, SDSU has seen a more diverse transfer applicant pool, a common pathway for Latino students. For fall 2023, these efforts resulted in over 2,200 Latino transfer students enrolling, 46% of the incoming transfer class. 

Coordinated Comprehensive Care for Latino Retention. SDSU has implemented a comprehensive, coordinated care model to drive undergraduate student success, with a particular focus on serving its traditionally underserved populations. The approach includes coordinated proactive wraparound services such as academic advising, robust mental health and wellness resources, peer mentoring programs, and academic support. Each first-year student is assigned a coordinated care advisor during their first two years at SDSU to ensure navigational and developmental support with embedded cultural competence to ensure they effectively meet the unique needs of Latino students. Through this effort, SDSU Latino students are achieving higher retention rates compared to national averages. In the Fall 2022 cohort, 6,573 first-time freshmen participated in the Coordinated Care Initiative, 30% of whom were Latino, and 4,091 transfers, 49% Latino. SDSU retained 90% of Latino first-year students and 91% of Latino transfer students.

Certified: 2024-2027

San Francisco State University (SFSU) is a comprehensive, public, urban university serving six Bay Area Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara). SUSU draws just over 60% of its students from these counties. As of fall 2023, Latino students represented 37% of SFSU’s student body. The SFSU student body has become increasingly more diverse, and the university has earned Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) designation in 2012 and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation in 2016. 

CULTIVATING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 

Peer mentoring to build belonging for Latino incoming and transfer students. SFSU’s Peer2Peer matches incoming and transfer Latino, minoritized, first-generation, and Pell-eligible students with a trained continuing student mentor to ease the transition to SFSU, cultivate a sense of belonging, reduce summer melt, and increase retention and graduation rates with a focus of serving Latino students. The program began in the College of Health and Social Sciences. Based on the success of Peer2Peer, the program was scaled up in 2023 to include all transfer students. During 2023-2024, the number of mentees provided with a mentor increased to 3,216, 46% of whom were transfer students and 17% were Latino transfer students. Latino transfer students participating in Peer2Peer have higher first-year retention rates than non-participating Latino transfer students ranging up to 9%. 

Promoting belonging early through learning communities. The Metro College Success Program at SFSU promotes early belonging and increased access by channeling one-third of first-time, full-time students into a dynamic two-year learning community as part of the recruitment effort for Latino students. With a focus on serving historically underserved populations, Metro designed a two-year, scaffolded general education curriculum for repeated practice of core academic skills (critical thinking, math, writing, and communication skills), empowering students to thrive academically. By embedding learning in real-world challenges, Metro fosters a sense of agency to effect positive change in both the personal and societal spheres of participating students. Academic support center staff engage in recruitment efforts with a focus on enrolling Latino and other underrepresented minority students, increasing the enrollment yield of Latino students by cultivating an early sense of belonging and facilitating access to a college education. Yield rates for Latino students who applied to Metro were significantly higher (38%-57%) than the overall Latino yield (9%-12%).

Certified: 2025-2028

San José State University (SJSU), the West Coast's oldest public higher education institution, is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution serving almost 23,000 students of which 31% identify as Latino. Located in the heart of downtown San José, SJSU prioritizes equity, access, innovation, and student-centered learning, fostering an inclusive campus environment through culturally sustaining practices that resonate with students’ backgrounds and lived experiences.

IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC ENGAGING AND SERVING COMMUNITY

Fostering strong college-going culture: SJSU’s Latino Advisory Council (LAC), including President Teniente-Matson and 17 community leaders, works to foster a strong college-going culture. The LAC meets quarterly to provide strategic guidance and strengthen university-community collaboration, addressing historical barriers for Latino families. Its priorities include: 1) Enhancing the degree pipeline: advising on strategies to improve college readiness, recruitment, retention, student success, and an inclusive campus climate; 2) Promoting family engagement: supporting efforts to prepare middle and high school families for higher education; 3) Building partnerships: cultivating connections with corporations, community groups, and professional societies for enriched educational opportunities, professional development, and philanthropic support; and, 4) Creating opportunities to thrive: advancing mentorship, networking, and community-building for Latino students, faculty, and staff to foster collaboration and shared success. Through these efforts, the LAC ensures SJSU remains a driver of equity and opportunity for the region’s Latino community.

Asset-based approach to student success: ¡Somos SJSU! is a vision and framework to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is specific to SJSU, recognizing the interwoven campus and home lives of Chicano/Latino students and families. The framework dictates that SJSU student projects must: 1) Acknowledge prevalent deficit thinking used in the schooling of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities; 2) Employ an asset-based approach to working with Chicano/Latino and all students; 3) Provide culturally-sustaining, academically-affirming approaches to supporting and engaging Chicano/Latino students; 4) Foster Chicano/Latino students’ well-being and success in ways that go beyond retention and graduation to align with the values, interests, and needs of their families and communities; and 5) Build the leadership capacity of students to use, adapt, and own research-based concepts and tools, as well as the capacity of faculty and staff to recognize and address inequities. ¡Somos SJSU! provide consultation on numerous projects, grant proposals, and faculty learning communities to introduce and implement the framework, ensuring it becomes a living commitment to equity across the institution.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

South Texas College (STC), an open-access institution, serves a predominantly Hispanic population (95%) in a region of Texas where 32% lack a high school diploma and poverty rates are nearly 32%, making education a critical driver of opportunity. STC serves more than 27,000 students of which 94% identify as Latino. Recognized with the Seal of Excelencia Intentionally Thriving Institution certification, STC is committed to align institutional strategies with community needs, focusing on increasing access, affordability, completion, and workforce preparation.

WORKFORCE STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC MOBILITY

Leveraging apprenticeships to advance economic mobility and immediate employment: South Texas College (STC) leverages apprenticeships as a transformational workforce strategy through its Center for Advanced Training & Apprenticeships (CATA). As a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Sponsor, STC connects students to over 17 "earn while you learn" programs in high-wage, high-demand fields like welding, HVAC, industrial maintenance, and the region's first Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) apprenticeship (launched 2025). These programs combine paid, hands-on training with classroom instruction, aligning with the College's stackable credential model and regional workforce needs. Over 670 students have enrolled, and STC partners with more than 70 employers, ensuring graduates earn nationally recognized credentials while advancing their economic mobility through immediate employment.

Non-credit to credit pathways for adult learners: STC advances economic opportunity through intentionally designed Non-Credit to Credit Pathways that guide General Educational Development (GED) and adult learners from foundational learning into credit-bearing credentials, addressing regional disparities where 34% of Hispanic adults lack a high school diploma. Seven integrated programs map GED and non-credit continuing education directly into credit-bearing certificate and degree programs. Students begin with ESL or GED prep paired with short-term workforce training in sectors like healthcare and business, providing immediate job entry and clear transitions to earn certificates and degrees. Since 2018, 558 students have enrolled; 40% completed their GED and 20% transitioned into credit programs, promoting workforce equity and upward mobility. 

Certified: 2023-2026

St. Edward’s University (St. Edward’s) is a private university in Austin, Texas that enrolls 2,766 undergraduate students, of whom 51% are Latino, and 40% are Pell Grant recipients. St. Edward’s was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, from which it acquired distinguishing characteristics: the courage to take risks, an international perspective and the commitment to provide educational opportunities for students of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds.

DELIVERING ON THEIR MISSION

Using data for evidence-based action. At St. Edward’s, on-demand Student Success Tableau data dashboards facilitate real time tracking of how initiatives are impacting Latino, and all, students. St. Edward’s dashboards inform senior leadership at the macro level and faculty and staff at an operational level to more intentionally serve their Latino, and all, students. The dashboards enable data-informed decisions by including multiple student variables to disaggregate data and help identify equity gaps that inform Latino student success. For example, if students are falling behind academically or are experiencing barriers to registration, staff use the dashboards to identify each student and intervene. St. Edward’s can also readily identify evidence-based practices that work for Latino students to scale and to incorporate into other university initiatives.

Seamless pathways and connections. St. Edward’s Transfer Success Team implements a centralized advising-coaching model that provides holistic support focused on individualized on-boarding and advising, coordinated communication, building community, and career readiness, all of which foster engagement. Students begin their transfer process with a required Success Coach meeting, including collaborative assessment of earned hours to optimize transfer credits towards degree completion. Transfers are also connected with Career Coaches, to launch students toward advanced experiential learning opportunities and gain knowledge of services, and with Student Financial Services’ Advisors to prepare them fiscally for their time at St. Edward’s. Over the last five years the transfer one-year retention rate for Latino students increased to 90% and to 86% for all students. As a result of this success, this advising-coaching model has been scaled to serve all first-year students as well.

Certified: 2024-2027

Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is a small, diverse community that values personal interactions, with the mission to deliver quality undergraduate and graduate education. SRSU is a Hispanic-serving public institution located in Alpine, Texas with instructional sites along the U.S.-Mexico borderlands in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, serving 13 counties as the only public university. SRSU has a 97% acceptance rate with 68% of its students being Latino.

MEETING LATINO STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND SUPPORTING THEIR RETENTION 

Increasing Latino student retention in the classroom. The SRSU Connecting with Students for Success Program recognizes that the classroom is the single most important location for students to build relationships and feel connections throughout their journeys to graduation. Faculty participating may teach first year, sophomore, junior and/or senior courses, so students in those courses continue to experience the four transforming practices: 1) Learn students’ names early, 2) Provide actionable feedback on assignments, 3) Hold high standards and offer support, and 4) Schedule individual conferences with students. More than 50% of the program participants have been Latino each year. The Connecting with Students for Success program has resulted in greater retention of Latino, and all, students, exceeding SRSU’s target retention rate of 55%. Overall retention of students participating in the program in 2022-23 is 63% vs. 62% for Latinos, and in 2023-24, overall is 86% and 87% for Latinos. 

Academically supporting Latino student retention. SRSU seeks to help students persist by supporting tutoring services across different media and platforms. The Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC) offers in-person tutoring for students needing assistance with writing, math, or science. The Online Writing Center (OWC) offers both asynchronous and synchronous tutoring flexibility for students needing help with anything related to reading, research, and writing. Graduate-level tutors provide personalized sessions geared towards specific needs and goals. To better support remote and distance education students, SRSU is expanding tutoring services with an online 24/7 service in both English and Spanish. SRSU found that students who engaged with the TLC have increasing retention rates, 58% in 2020-2021 to 65% in 2023-2024. The retention rate for Latino students was much higher with 70% in 2020, 66% in 2021, 52% in 2022, and 79% in 2023. In 2022-2023, the OWC assisted 42 students, 21 of which were Latino. This number doubled in 2023-2024 with 78 student participants, 44 of which were Latino. This has garnered a 57% retention rate for all students and 67% for Latino students in 2023-2024.

Certified: 2023-2026

Texas Woman’s University (TWU), the nation’s first woman-focused university system, enrolls 10,150 undergraduate students, of whom 34% are Latino students and 56% are Pell Grant recipients. TWU’s academic and student life missions together is the overarching vision of a university experience that develops the whole person. Built on the cornerstones of experiential learning and leadership development, TWU aims to graduate thriving individuals who have a strong sense of community, health, prosperity, and purpose.

COMMITMENT TO IDENTIFYING AND INVESTING IN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

Disaggregating data to inform and predict. TWU has built a centralized Office of Institutional Research and Data Management that advances its capability to quickly and accurately make data-informed decisions and to feed baseline data into predictive modeling that helps evaluate potential practices and policy before implementation. This effort has impacted the success of Latinx students, connecting previously siloed student data, from intake to outcomes data as well as faculty data and even housing data. Through data disaggregating, TWU has learned such things as the communication types that work best for Latinx students in navigating pre-registration cycles. Disaggregating financial aid data has helped TWU uncover gaps between Latinx and non-Latinx students raising awareness of the reasons for the gaps and leading to the implementation of practices such as targeted scholarships. The commitment to identifying interventions through data disaggregation is a regular component of TWU’s day-to-day integration of data into the university’s strategies, policies, and practices that intentionally promote Latinx success.

Financial support to increase access and completion. TWU increases college access for Latinx students through a coordinated financial support strategy that addresses cost, lowers indebtedness, and shortens time to degree. TWU disaggregated data shows that lack of financial resources impedes Latinx enrollment, especially for those families living far from campus. To overcome this barrier, TWU employs a strategy that balances merit and need-based aid. TWU offers a merit scholarship based on school performance, not test scores. Additionally, a companion scholarship (Boldly Go) is awarded based on distance to TWU, overcoming the barrier travel imposes for Latinx families. TWU also provides the Zero Tuition Guarantee program for first time in-college and transfer students receiving a Pell Grant that covers 100% of tuition and fees. The tuition guarantee program impacts every Pell Grant recipient, currently 56% of the undergraduate population, of which 43% are Latinx students. In May 2023, 43% of undergraduate students (38% Latinx) graduating had no debt.

Recertified: 2025-2028

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is a Carnegie Research 1 and Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With 41,000 students, of which 34% are Latino, UTA recently awarded a record 11,526 degrees, making it the third-largest degree producer in Texas. UTA is recognized for the low student loan debt of its graduates.

EXPANDING ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE WHILE LOWERING STUDENT DEBT

Reducing student loan dependence. Launched in 2022 for qualifying students from families with an adjusted gross income of $85,000, then expanded in 2025 to $100,000, BlazeForward is a financial support program covering full tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying students. It significantly reduces student loan dependence and expands higher education access, especially for those with financial need. In 2023-2024, the program saw a 120% increase in recipients, with 48% being Latino students, demonstrating its impact on UTA’s largest student population. Other recipients benefitting from the program included 17% African American, 14% Asian, and 17% White. This led to a decrease in loan recipients from 13,536 in 2017 to 9,692 in 2023-2024, with Latino student loan reliance declining, illustrating a shift toward non-repayable financial aid. Simultaneously, grants and scholarships grew, with Latino students comprising 65% of all recipients.

Providing access and opportunity. Mavs RISE, an admissions program in the Division of Student Success, serves, supports, and empowers conditionally admitted first-year students, 50% of whom are Latino. Conditionally admitted students have historically lower retention rates and are typically overrepresented by historically underserved populations. The program provides early intervention and individually tailored support to help students stay on track toward their degree. Students complete activities on campus resources, academic strategies, financial wellness, and career preparation. A residential learning community is also available. In the past year, over 63% of Mavs RISE students finished in good academic standing, a significant increase from 55% the prior year, and academic probation/warning rates dropped by over 10 percentage points.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a nationally recognized public research institution, is uniquely located where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico converge that serves more than 24,000 students with 84% identifying as Hispanic. For over 30 years, UTEP has been dedicated to serving Latino students and expanding access to higher education in a historically underserved region. UTEP remains a national model for combining open access with academic excellence.

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT

Intensive workforce development experiences to address community needs: The Miner Teacher Residency at UTEP, established in 2019, is a fully-scaled, year-long, immersive teacher preparation program for teacher candidates, 90% of whom identify as Latino. The overriding goal of the Miner Teacher Residency is to prepare the highest-quality teachers for classrooms in the El Paso region and beyond, addressing a critical need for local communities. Residents co-teach with master teachers, receiving intensive coaching and various performance assessments. The program has prepared over 600 teachers, with 95% meeting performance benchmarks, 80% are hired by district partners, and their one-year and three-year retention rates (90% and 84%, respectively) exceed state averages.

High-impact employer-led academies: UTEP invests in innovative programs, like employer-led academies, to provide students experience and to connect them with industry. These academies, crucial for many first-generation students, provide technical training, mentorship, and direct employer engagement, bridging academic achievement with employment. They are designed to align educational outcomes with workforce realities. A prime example is the Hunt College of Business Corporate Academies, which focuses on Banking, Enterprise Resource Planning, Human Capital Management, and Risk Management. From 2020-2024, these academies resulted in 33 internships and 84 full-time roles with academy partner companies. The academies have grown steadily over four years, serving as critical pipelines for internships and entry-level hiring and reflecting employer confidence in UTEP talent and a shared commitment to early career development of students.

Recertified: 2023-2026

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Hispanic serving research university that serves nearly 30,000 undergraduate students, 61% of whom are Latino. UTSA is committed to becoming a Hispanic thriving institution, supporting the San Antonio community through: the enhancement of an educated workforce; the application of knowledge to solve societal grand challenges; the development of new innovations, businesses and social programs; and the preparation of the next generation of Hispanic leaders.

INTENTIONAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION TO SUPPORT FACULTY HIRING AND STUDENT AFFORDABILITY

Strategic faculty hiring SERVES Latino students. UTSA’s Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative is composed of five complementary programs that support academic colleges in recruiting and hiring well-qualified diverse faculty. These programs provide designated funding to hire nationally recognized faculty, support dual career academic partners, and recruit groups of scholars through clustered and connected hiring. This initiative is one factor contributing to a significant increase in Latino faculty representation. From 2015-2023, the number of Latino full-time faculty has increased by 60%, and the number of Latino tenured faculty has increased by 25%.

Promise programs addressing multiple student needs. To ensure student affordability and create social mobility, UTSA prioritizes financial support to intentionally serve Latino students. Their strategy includes several coordinated programs: Bold Promise, which covers eight semesters worth of tuition and fees for Texas residents in the top 25% of their high school graduating class and have a family income of no more than $70,000 a year; Bold Scholars, which meets Bold Promise students’ remaining gap of financial need to provide free on-campus housing, enabling students to fully participate in career-focused experiential learning; and Promise to Promise, which covers four semesters worth of tuition and fees for transfer students from the Alamo Colleges who meet minimum transfer GPA requirements and have a family income of no more than $70,000 a year. Collectively, these programs provide financial and related support to ensure Latino student retention. For example, the one-year retention rate for Bold Promise Latino students is five percentage points higher than that of other first-time-full-time Latino students with similar family incomes, and the second-to-third year retention rate is 10 percentage points higher. With the added support for Bold Scholars, Latino students achieved even more, earning higher GPAs and more credit hours.

Recertified: 2024-2027

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a comprehensive academic institution of higher education located along the Texas-Mexico Border, with a population that is 94% Latino. UTRGV recognizes that one of its strengths is the bilingual and bicultural community it serves and is committed to being a model bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate institution, implementing several strategic initiatives to meet that goal. UTRGV embraces the historical and cultural heritage of the region it serves by building curricula and programming that reflect the community assets and intellectual wealth. 

TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT IN LATINO STUDENT COMPLETION 

Increasing retention and graduation rates through on-campus employment. UTRGV’s on-campus internship program, the Student Experience Initiative (SEI), provides employment aligned to a student’s degree program. SEI was created as a retention and timely graduation strategy that recognized the compelling needs of RGV students to work while attending college. It addresses the variables that could hinder academic progress such as off-campus work obligations. It’s a rigorous, incentive-based model requiring academic performance accountability. Participating students must enroll full-time each semester, maintain a cumulative and semester 3.0 or above GPA, and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. Students must also have completed 12-90 credit hours to be eligible. Since 2020, SEI has connected over 200 students to over 50 departments across campus. Latino SEI student fall 2023 persistence rates were 93% versus 76% for non-SEI Latino students. On average, Latino SEI students graduate in 2.87 years versus 3.06 years for non-SEI Latino students. Post-graduation, SEI students stand out to employers and recruiters as they can articulate their learning experiences and tie them to their field of study. 

Addressing degree completion through cooperative learning. UTRGV’s Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) was designed to address a barrier to students making timely progress toward degree completion. High enrollment, high failure rate courses, particularly gateway courses in STEM majors, were targeted because large numbers of students repeat these courses, pushing students to change majors and leading to low persistence/retention. PLTL positively impacts student success in these courses by building peer cooperative learning opportunities into the course structure itself, normalizing academic support for all students. Facilitated by peer leaders, students have an additional meeting time each week in which they engage actively with classmates for deeper learning. After initiating in three courses in Fall 2016 and based on its proven success, PLTL has been scaled through significant institutional investment and now serves 48,000 students. Success of the program, offered for all students, has been significant especially for Latino students with pass rates of 70% compared to 55% for those not participating in PLTL sessions.

Recertified: 2025-2028

The University at Albany (UAlbany) fosters an inclusive environment for its diverse student body of more than 12,600, including 20% Latino students, that supports the personal and academic success for all students. As an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, nearly 50% of undergraduates are from underrepresented backgrounds and 60% are Pell Grant eligible. UAlbany invests in key strategies to ensure affordability and student success.  

ADVANCING STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH STRUCTURED FAMILY AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS 

Supportive network for students’ families: Recognizing that a strong support network of family and friends increases academic success, UAlbany developed Great Danes 101, a free, self-paced semester-long online course for families of incoming first-generation students. Offered in English and Spanish, the program demystifies college life, addressing emotional and social support, homesickness, and academic challenges. With added engagement opportunities such as weekly Zoom office hours and in-person sessions during Family Weekend, the course provides a welcoming, collaborative environment for families to connect and learn. Launched in 2024, the course has already supported over 1,800 family members.

Personalized financial planning for student success and lifelong financial literacy: Nearly 60% of UAlbany undergraduate students who apply for financial aid are Pell Grant eligible, a number that continues to rise each year. University-specific withdrawal data demonstrates that one of the leading causes of stop outs amongst Latino students is their lack of financial resources. To combat this, UAlbany launched the Financial Assistance Coaching & Tools for Success (FACTS) program, a $4 million Department of Education grant-funded initiative. In addition to significantly increasing financial assistance via grants and scholarships, FACTS provides personalized financial planning to students, especially Latinos and other underserved populations, from their first semester through graduation, aiming to boost retention, persistence, and graduation rates.

Intentionally Thriving: 2025-2028

The University of Arizona (UA) has been recertified as a 2025 Seal of Excelencia Intentionally Thriving Institution, recognizing its dedication to intentionally serving Latino, and all, students. UA serves more than 44,000 undergraduate students of which 27% identify as Latino. Through its strategic initiatives, UA has decreased a retention gap to 2% and a completion gap to 3% between Latino students and all students in 2023-2024.

FOSTERING SOCIAL CAPITAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES WITH COMMUNITY

Supporting current students and alumni through professional networks: Established in 1982, UA’s Hispanic Alumni (UAHA) program supports current students and maintains post-graduation engagement for alumni. UAHA fosters a thriving professional network through networking events, career panels, community leadership, and alumni-to-alumni mentoring, supporting economic mobility. Alumni serve as both mentees and mentors, providing culturally informed guidance and career connections. In 2022–2023, over 120 alumni engaged, and 82% of surveyed participants reported increased confidence in navigating job advancement or graduate school applications due to UAHA. UAHA continues to provide alumni with critical social capital, professional visibility, and career advancement tools. A critical partner in cultivating student success and post-completion engagement, UAHA awarded 201 scholarships in 2024-2025 totaling over a million dollars. UAHA scholars retain at 95% and have higher term and cumulative GPAs compared to a matched peer group.

Services and tools to advance collegiate and professional careers: The Arizona Alumni Career Lab supports UA students and alumni advance their collegiate and professional careers by offering career coaching, mentorship, job boards, professional development webinars, and networking. It provides professional advice from alumni, faculty, and advisers, with free webinars on career topics. The lab continues to support alumni post-graduation through programs like continuing education, experiential learning, and skill-building. Recognizing that identities shape workplace experiences, the Career Lab also has initiatives focused on identity and affinity groups, offering tailored advice. In recent academic years, Hispanic alumni constituted 26-31% of those served.

Recertified: 2024-2027

University of California, Merced (UC Merced) continues to enroll increasing numbers of students as one of the fastest-growing campuses in the UC system. In fall 2023, more than 8,000 undergraduate students enrolled at UC Merced with 54% identifying as Latino. The 2023 first-year class of 2,416 students, the largest in campus history, comes almost entirely from California of which 60% are Pell Grant-eligible and more than 62% are the first in their family to attend college. 

INVESTING IN LATINO STUDENT, PARENT, AND FACULTY ENGAGEMENT 

Student and parent engagement and support for matriculation. Students lose a support system during in the summer prior to their transition to college, leading to confusion and a long list of requirements to complete to successfully enroll. UC Merced has initiated an Anti-Melt & Parent Engagement plan designed to facilitate the early enrollment process for students, fostering strong campus support networks, and cultivating excitement about joining UC Merced. Key components of the plan include proactive email and calling campaigns, monthly e-newsletters, timely text messages on dates and deadlines, bilingual webinars, social media campaign, and real-time support. A random sample of 804 SIR students (Statement of Intent to Register) analysis revealed that students who enrolled at UC Merced reported 7.33 instances of engagement by UC Merced than those who did not enroll (2.15). Moreover, of those students who enrolled at UC Merced, approximately 7% reported no instances of engagement, whereas 53% of students who did not enroll reported no instances of engagement. 

Increasing Latino representation for inclusive environments for students. Established in 1984, the University of California’s President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to enhance career development and opportunities for PhDs from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia. UC campuses are allowed to employ a streamlined process for hiring Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows (PPFs) and receive time-limited funding towards salary and, when available, start-up funds. UC Merced promotes and actively participates in this program. Each academic year, departments are encouraged to consider whether there may be PPFs to pursue for a faculty position. UC Merced regularly offers faculty positions to PPFs, who are highly competitive on the market. From the 2016-17 to 2022-23 AY, there were increases in both the raw number (+22) and percentage (+3%) of UC Merced’s full-time faculty who identify as Latino. Twenty-nine (29) faculty offers were made to PPFs since the 2018-19 AY and 11 were successfully hired.

Recertified: 2024-2027

University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) serves the Inland Empire, a region characterized by its significant Chicano/Latino population comprising more than 51% of its residents. UC Riverside focuses on enhancing graduation rates, narrowing equity disparities, and broadening the scope of high-impact practices and career and leadership development opportunities for more than 22,000 undergraduates, including more than 9,000 Latino students. 

INTENTIONALLY FOCUSING ON UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTING THE LATINO STUDENT JOURNEY

Supporting Latino students transitioning to the University. UCR Learning Communities are designed to help transition students to the university experience, led by dynamic faculty and advising professionals who introduce small groups of students to academic values, research opportunities, and university resources. They also offer peer mentoring which is robust across many academic and non-academic programs. In the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), the CHASS F1rst Learning Communities serve about 94% of first year students (2,772 students in Fall 2023), with nearly half (1,311) identifying as Latino. In CHASS, there is virtually no gap in the rate of students completing the learning community courses successfully. For first year students, the DFW rate last fall for the general student population and the Latino student population was 9%. Additionally, CHASS F1RST has successfully recruited Latino peer mentors with 42% identifying as Latino in the last two cohorts. 

Providing financial support to underserved students who give back to their underserved communities. UCR commits to make the dream of attending UCR a reality despite students’ financial obstacles, especially the more than 53% Latino Pell Grant-eligible students. The Tilga Internship Fund offers up to $6,000 to students who secure a professional, unpaid or low paying, internship. Students must complete a brief application that includes an explanation of the financial barriers to participating in an internship. Another effort, College Corps, provides up to $10,000 for meaningful work in the community such as providing tutoring in a K-6 educational setting, addressing climate action issues, and combatting food insecurity. Undocumented students may also apply to be College Corps fellows. In 2023, the Tilga supported 45 UCR students, of which 33% were Latino. In 2022-2023, 41% of 150 College Corps participants identified as Latino, and in 2023-2024, the number increased to 55%. In addition, 16 undocumented students participated in the 2022-2023, and 20 participated in 2022-2023. Year one exit survey data showed the financial support helped students with living allowance payments (61%) and food (68%), and 65% stated that the support helped with future educational expenses.

Recertified: 2025-2028

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), a public four-year Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI), serves 17,940 undergraduates of which 29% are Latino and 31% first-generation. Known for high-impact research, teaching, public service, and social justice, UCSC prioritizes retention, transfer, representation, faculty and curriculum development, affordability, and student transitions to boost Latino and all student success.

AFFIRMING AND VALIDATING STUDENT IDENTITIES, EXPERIENCES, AND CULTURES

Building transfer-receptive culture: UCSC grounds its work in a transfer-receptive culture by streamlining institutional pathways, allocating resources, and supporting community college students through all stages: transfer, retention, graduation, and post-graduate. Campus leadership prioritizes transfer student success, with UCSC taking institutional and collective responsibility to integrate relationships among students, staff, and faculty, strengthening support before, during, and after transfer. Staff from Admissions, Services for Transfer Re-entry, and Resilient Scholars (STARRS), academic departments, and colleges coordinate transfer services. STARRS leads professional development workshops. Academic departments streamline pathways via relationships, curriculum, articulation between community colleges and UC courses, and research opportunities. Campus departments seek to become student-identified “transfer hotspots” for the support and advocacy they offer, centering transfer students in department missions and programs.

Increasing representation and affirming student experiences: UCSC recognizes the profound impact that representation among employees has on the success of our increasingly diverse student body. When students see their identities reflected in faculty and staff who teach, mentor, and support them, this affirms and validates their own experiences. Practices such as inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive healthcare contribute to students’ educational achievement and well-being. With the Faculty Equity Advocates Program, which works on faculty hiring and retention, and the Staff Excellence Advisors program, which focuses on manager hiring, UCSC has successfully increased our underrepresented full-time faculty, tenured faculty, administrators, and staff in the past eight years.  

Recertified: 2024-2027

University of Central Florida (UCF) is a metropolitan research university that enrolls more than 60,000 students with 31% identifying as Latino. UCF is committed to meeting students where they are and developing various pathways to degree completion. Their intentional enrollment, retention, and engagement practices help UCF serve their Latino, and all, students through completion. UCF leverages innovative learning, discovery and partnerships to foster social mobility while developing the skilled talent needed to advance regional, state, and national industries. 

HOLISTIC SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 

Supporting Latino transfer students intentionally. The DirectConnect to UCF® (DC) program is an award-winning, nationally recognized program that supports transfer students in partnership with six Florida College System state colleges. It is designed to increase student access and success, reduce transitional barriers, and provide a quality education that is affordable for transfer students. It focuses on major and transfer readiness for students, providing opportunity for Latino and other minoritized students. In the 2022-2023 academic year, more than 25% (4,933) were DC transfer students and approximately 40% of these were Latino. Since its inception in 2006-07, DC has granted more than 73,000 degrees, with 25% (18,513) awarded to Latino students. DC has seen a substantial increase in the number of degrees awarded to Latino transfer students with a growth of 319% (356 degrees in 2006-2007 to 1,492 degrees in 2022-2023). Since 2016-2017, DC awarded 36,908 degrees, with 30% (11,188) of those degrees being awarded to Latino students representing an approximately 53% increase from 2016-2017 until present. 

Affirming Latino student identity and belonging. The CREAR (College REadiness, Achievement and Retention) Futuros Peer Mentoring Program at UCF is a national initiative funded by the Hispanic Federation, Inc., purposefully crafted to bolster Latino student achievement. The program has a built-in support system that reinforces sense of belonging through peer role models. Creyentes (proteges) are typically first-year freshmen who are paired with knowledgeable and highly trained upperclassman, UCF Peer-Mentors, that introduce them to campus resources and offer first-hand advice on how to make the most out of their UCF experience. Creyentes are also provided with the opportunity to hear from the local Latino professionals who share their personal journeys and offer valuable insights on academic and career success. Latino cultural pride is woven into all discussions and activities in the program to affirm identities and empower Latino students to embrace and leverage their cultural wealth. The 2022-23 first year retention rate of CREAR Futuros Latino participants is 95%, compared to 92% of their Latino peers.

Recertified: 2023-2026

University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a Hispanic serving research university that serves nearly 22,000 undergraduate students, 36% of whom are Latino. From 2015-2023, Latino students comprised over two-thirds (68%) of the institution’s enrollment growth. UIC enrolls and graduates the largest number of Latino students in Illinois.

EARLY, FREQUENT, AND SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT OF LATINO STUDENTS

Growing an evidence-based model of supporting Latino students. Since 1975, the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services program (LARES) focuses on the recruitment, retention, and graduation of low-income and underserved Latino students from the Chicagoland area. LARES has grown from serving approximately 100 Latino students to its current enrollment of more than 3,300. The LARES model is distinctive, when Latino students enroll at UIC, they continue their relationship with their LARES recruiter as an advisor throughout their UIC career. LARES staff implement a holistic model of strength-based advising, parent outreach, and direct student support navigating academic, socioemotional, financial, and completion barriers. In 2021-22, LARES students were retained at a rate of 84%, which is 12 percentage points higher than Latino students who do not engage with LARES advisors, as well as 6 percentage points higher than the retention rate for all full-time students at UIC.

Reframing summer as an opportunity for incoming students. In an effort to increase affordability and decrease students’ time-to-degree, UIC has developed strategies to invest in students taking advantage of summer session offerings. For incoming students who place into developmental writing, math, chemistry, and music theory courses, Summer College provides them with no-cost options to learn relevant material so they can move into credit-bearing courses that fulfill graduation requirements as they start their first semester at UIC. Among those who enrolled in Summer College from 2012 through 2014, Latino students who participated in the Chemistry, Writing, and/or Math programs graduated in six years at a rate that was 8 percentage points higher than Latino students who were eligible but did not participate. In 2018, UIC began the Accelerate Your Success program, which provides a scholarship for low-income students to enroll in at least 5 credit hours of credit-bearing coursework during the summer. As of 2022, 98% of Latino participants were registered for the fall term or earned a degree immediately following their summer term. These summer options for students, both developmental and credit, have contributed to UIC awarding degrees to Latino students at an all-time high of 1,529 in 2022, a 136% increase from 2011.

Certified: 2025-2028

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Nevada’s largest university, serves nearly 33,000 students, with over 30% identifying as Latino. The university offers over 200 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs across 16 colleges. Record enrollment, retention, and graduation rates are driven by an approach that forges data-informed connections with students early and often, and through initiatives that strengthen academic progress, financial stability, and proactive advising.

COMPREHENSIVE DATA-INFORMED SERVICES FACILITATE STUDENT SUCCESS

Connecting early and often. In step with Nevada’s changing demographics, UNLV’s Latino student population has steadily increased. To foster student success across the entire undergraduate population, the university has built a comprehensive suite of programming designed to keep students on track and engaged. Key initiatives include “Rebel Ready Week,” a free extended orientation and onboarding week for new students that helped improve retention rates from 78% to 79% after just one year. The Rebel Success Hub, a 360° advising platform, provides predictive analytics and tools to identify trends and respond to emerging student needs. Proactive efforts such as the Rebel Success Scholars program and the First Day textbook initiative help reduce financial barriers, while dedicated peer mentors and student outreach specialists support students most at risk of leaving before degree completion.

Data-driven decision-making. At UNLV, data is central to daily decision-making across academic, administrative, and student support units. This includes real-time dashboards, analytics, and institutional research reports that guide actions to directly improve student outcomes. Disaggregating data by student demographics and risk factors provides clear, visual insights into enrollment, persistence, and completion trends. To ensure insight leads to action, an annual “Datapalooza” event convenes faculty, staff, and researchers to examine trends and sharpen strategies. These tools and programs, combined with enhanced first- and second-year experience courses, supplemental instruction, learning support services, and academic coaching, create a cohesive approach that sustains retention and degree progress for UNLV’s growing Latino population and for all students.

Recertified: 2024-2027

Wilbur Wright College (Wright College), one of the institutions of the City Colleges of Chicago, is in the Northwest side of the city of Chicago, which has a heavy Latino representation. Of the more than 7,500 students enrolled at Wright, 62% are Latino. The college emphasizes collaboration, communication, and intentionality with a focus on serving and deepening partnerships with the community to serve its students. 

INTENTIONAL SUPPORT TO ADVANCE LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 

Latino-focused transfer partnerships and pathways. Transfer success for Wright students is achieved through local partnerships, while taking advantage of larger system-wide articulation agreements. Wright College is intentional in building partnerships directly with the Latino-focused support units at the top transfer destinations like University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) such as LARES at UIC and Caminos Al Éxito at NEIU. Through this intentionality, Latino transfer students from Wright are connected to targeted services, programming, and resources focused on their success. In FY 2023, 57% of Wright’s prior degree completers transferred to four-year institutions within two years, up from 53% in FY 2022. Of this cohort, 59% were Latino and 56% of these students transferred within the measured time frame. From fall 2016 to fall 2020, over 1,600 students transferred to 160 four-year institutions, with 51% being Latino. Approximately two-thirds of all transfer students attended Northeastern Illinois University or the University of Illinois Chicago, a proportion mirrored by Latino students. 

Tailored comprehensive support for limited-English proficiency students. Wright College has implemented targeted initiatives and program-specific approaches tailored to address the unique needs of the Northwest side of Chicago, an area with the city’s largest Latino population. Wright’s Avanza Program is a bilingual first-year initiative tailored to Spanish-speaking students with limited English proficiency. Bridging credit and Adult Education, Avanza delivers comprehensive bilingual student support, faculty, and wrap-around services. Bilingual college advisors provide personalized onboarding, registration, academic, and transfer advising services, ensuring Latino students receive tailored support for success. Avanza began with 10 students and has expanded to 36, serving approximately 60 students to date. The fall-to-spring retention rates for Avanza participants have been consistently high (84% and above). The second cohort's fall-to-fall retention rate of 58% slightly surpassed the college's recent rate of 55%. Fall-to-spring retention rate within the cohorts exceeded the college's overall rate of 76% for fall 2023 students.