Saint Elizabeth University has been awarded a five-year grant of nearly $2.3 million to increase first-year retention and university graduation rates among Pell-eligible Hispanic and other low-income college students, the school announced this week.
The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Education‘s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program authorized under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965. To qualify for the grant, institutions must be designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution and have 25% enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent Hispanic students.
Over the next five years, 100% of the $2,262,810 federal grant will go toward enhancing SEU’s support of mathematics preparedness, developing critical social-emotional and cognitive skills for long-term college success, and maintaining academic and campus life engagement, school officials said.
In addition, this grant funding will strengthen SEU’s technology infrastructure, enhance learning spaces and reinforce student support for experiential learning at the Morris Township-based school.
SEU President Helen Streubert said the grant will help the school fulfill its greatest mission and purpose.
“SEU takes great pride in continually furthering our mission to be a community of learning for students of diverse ages, backgrounds and cultures,” she told ROI-NJ. “This prestigious award will enable us to expand educational opportunities for and improve the academic success of our Hispanic students, many of whom are first-generation college students.”
