Texas State must reapply for its HSI designation every year, which means it must continue to actively support its Hispanic/Latinx population. Although university enrollment may meet federal requirements, the institution must submit an annual application to maintain Hispanic-Serving Institution status and remain eligible to apply for awards. Reaching HSI status does not guarantee funding but allows the university to compete with other HSIs to receive funding.
Each year, the Department of Education releases a list of eligible institutions who may apply for designation as an HSI. The application process includes an eligibility matrix and includes information such as enrollment numbers for Hispanic, low-income students and core expenses per full-time equivalent (FTE) students.
As an HSI designated institution Texas State takes pride in understanding the diverse needs of Bobcats today. Faculty and staff have worked to develop resources using a variety of promising approaches to meet these needs and ensure a robust educational experience. Programs made possible by HSI designation that will provide support to help more students be successful include academic coaching, mentoring, tutoring, undergraduate research, and faculty training and development.
Additionally, HSI grants have provided access to educational materials and experiences that were not previously available. By empowering and aiding Hispanic students pursuing their education, HSI designation provide services geared towards strengthening the capacity to serve and building academic achievement with the Hispanic/Latinx population. As an institution that prides itself as being student-centered, service is defining the essence of what Texas State University’s HSI status means: to build the capacity to serve, one student at a time.
Eligibility for Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions programming has three main components that must be met in order to compete for federal funds:
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Division of the Department of Education manages three grant programs:
Additionally, other federal agencies provide grant opportunities for HSIs (or specifically to support minority students) including but not limited to National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, United States Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Energy.
HSI grant programs support a variety of activities depending on the type of grant program. At Texas State, grant activities include improving student support services (academic coaching, mentoring, tutoring), purchase of specified educational materials, developing undergraduate research opportunities, faculty development, and outreach efforts to promote experiential learning.