Notre Dame de Namur University Receives Second Grant From U.S. Department of Education for $3.2 Million to Support Programs for Hispanic Students
BELMONT, Calif., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) has received a grant from the United States Department of Education to fund expansion of support services and scholarships for Hispanic and low-income students. This latest grant for $3.2 million is the largest federal grant in the university's history. It comes on the heels of a $2.9 million grant that focuses on expanding programs for Hispanic students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs. This latest grant was awarded under the department's Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program; NDNU is one of only thirteen schools to receive this award. NDNU is the only four-year, private university in Northern California to hold the HSI designation, which means that at least 25 percent of its undergraduate population is composed of students who identify themselves as Hispanic.
The grant, which will be paid out over five years, will finance the university's "Improving Student Retention and Academic Success at NDNU" project, which aims to support the success, retention, and graduation of its Hispanic and low-income students by:
- Helping students navigate and engage with the college environment with student success coaching
- Identifying academically at-risk students and providing academic support services to help those students overcome poor academic preparation
- Developing articulation agreements with community colleges to facilitate transfer
- Raising endowment funds for scholarships to support students financially
- Addressing issues of language barriers and access to information by providing translation and interpretation services
"NDNU has a strong commitment to provide access to quality higher education to underserved populations," said NDNU President Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D. "Currently, we provide first-generation students, most of whom are Latino/Latina, with a foundation for success through our Gen 1 program; this grant will allow us to expand and improve upon our current support services for students in all majors."
Notre Dame de Namur University is an independent Catholic, coeducational institution serving nearly 2000 students. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur, Belgium in 1851 and chartered by the state in 1868, NDNU maintains a strong commitment to social justice and community engagement. The University is fully accredited and offers 21 liberal arts and career preparation undergraduate programs, and 12 graduate degrees and five credentials. The 50-acre campus is located in Belmont, just south of San Francisco. For more information visit www.ndnu.edu.
SOURCE Notre Dame de Namur University
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