The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that it awarded more than $2.9 million to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander students by supporting institutions that serve them.
Grants will be awarded to 10 campuses to improve their academic quality, instructions, and facilities. Specifically, funds will allow these institutions to carry out a wide range of activities and improvements in the areas of faculty development and exchanges, curriculum development, counseling services, and technology upgrades.
“These funds will enhance the quality of these schools to better prepare Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander students for success in college and careers by giving them the skills they need to compete in the 21st century, global economy,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a press release.
In order to be eligible for grants through this program, an institution must have an undergraduate enrollment of at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander.
Highline College, a 2015 recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, is among the grant awardees.
All institutions receiving grant money include:
California
San Jose Evergreen Community College District (Evergreen Valley College) – $281,000
Coast Community College District (Coastline Community College) – $300,000
South Orange County Community College District (Irvine Valley College) – $300,000
Mission College – $300,000
Illinois
Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois – $274,023
Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Boston – $299,999
Nevada
Board of Regents, Nevada System of Higher Education (University of Nevada Las Vegas) – $299,999
Texas
Richland College – $300,000
Washington
Highline College – $300,000
Northern Marianas Island
Northern Marianas College – $269,023
For more information, click here.
