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Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

As an HSI, we’ll ensure you’ll feel like family at APU and have access to the resources to achieve your goals.

Advancing Your Student Success with Our $2.7 Million HSI Grant

You’ll feel like family here, and you’ll be supported by our caring community and provided with resources to help you achieve your goals. On our campus, you’ll see our recent $2.7 million grant, “Advancing Student Achievement and Success: Avanzando Logros y Éxitos Estudiantiles!” working for your success through robust tutoring programs, academic advising, cultural competence training for faculty, renovated campus learning spaces, and more.

Being a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) touches every aspect of campus life from creating tailored cultural events to classroom learning experiences.

For more information, browse our FAQs below.

How HSI Funding Benefits You:

Trained faculty in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) and general education revisions that include culturally responsive ways of teaching
Engaged learning spaces for teachers and students with a plan to remodel 1,600-square-feet on campus
Simplified transition from high school to college through our Summer Bridge program
Robust academic success coaching for adult and returning students
And so much more!

Browse Frequently Asked Questions

HSI Programs Make it Easier to Start College

Summer Bridge

APU’s Summer Bridge program is a free five-week program that:

Helps Hispanic, first-gen, and low-income students start college
Grows your success and belonging with individual attention and first-year mentorship
Shows you where to find free resources, such as the Writing and Tutoring Center

Learn More About Summer Bridge

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Your Family on APU’s HSI Campus: Latin American Student Association (LASA)

Connect with LASA at APU, find a home away from home, and become an integral part of APU—long after we welcome you to campus.

You’ll engage with your professors, share your story with your classmates, and forge connections within our local community.

Connect with LASA

As of fall 2022, our student body is 37.4% Latino/a. We enroll students like you and others, serve you exceptionally well, and target funds to address disparities in student outcomes.

The HSI title is given to an educational instituation that serves a student population that is at least 25% Latino/a.¹

APU Celebrates Title V Grant

An HSI Cultural Event: Mariachi Band, Food, and Latin Heritage Night

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Mariachi band performing on stage at APU’s Cougar Walk

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Help APU Continue Important Work as an HSI

Your donation ensures that students in traditionally underserved populations have the tools and support to achieve their dreams.

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APU Named a Top 100 Degree Producer by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

This distinction is given to institutions that award the most degrees to minority students.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an HSI designation?

The U.S. Department of Education grants an HSI designation to higher education institutions with an enrollment of undergraduate full-time-equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic. In addition, the institution must also be eligible under Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, enrolling a significant number of students with high financial needs. Universities with an HSI standing are eligible to receive grant fundings to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for underrepresented student populations.

Will an HSI designation help me find community at APU?

Yes! It fosters connecting with peers, service opportunities in the surrounding community, and representation in curriculum. Funding expands ongoing mentorship programs to help plug you in on campus and thrive in your major. We’re committed to enrolling a diverse student body, and fostering meaningful connections in that community.

Does an HSI designation benefit only Hispanic students?

No! HSI designation focuses on Hispanic students, first-generation students, those with high financial needs, and other groups that have historically been underserved by higher education. Research confirms that diversity enhances the education experience, prompts innovation, and fosters critical thinking among other measurable benefits for every individual and our community at large.

Where does the HSI designation funding go to?

HSI funding powers a variety of programs and resources that emphasize student retention and graduation rates for Latino/a students, low-income students, and traditionally marginalized groups.

Specific programs include:

Peer learning assistants in classrooms.
Academic success coaching for students in adult programs.
Our Summer Bridge program designed to individually connect students and provide ongoing mentorship.
New tools such as the Stellic student success platform, which helps track student progress and increase faculty engagement, improving student retention and recognizition of at-risk students.
Faculty opportunities to develop skills in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) training, equipping them to adopt culturally responsive methods and deepen mentorship abilities.
Enhancements to APU’s infrastructure, creating remodeled learning spaces to foster student belonging and easy access to a student success network.

Footnotes

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are defined in Title V of the Higher Education Act as not-for-profit institutions of higher learning with a full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25 percent Hispanic.