Mount Wins $2.8 Million Title V Grant
9/30/2022
Federal Funding Affirms the College’s Commitment to Effectively Serving Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds
The University of Mount Saint Vincent has secured a Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions (DHSI) grant, which will provide funding in excess of $2.8 million over five years, from the United States Department of Education.
Title V grants are highly competitive—the awards are meant to improve Hispanic-serving institutions and provide Hispanic students opportunities for education, as well as to help expand and enhance those academic offerings by improving programs and teaching quality.
It’s no surprise the College has been selected as a recipient.
One-third of Mount Saint Vincent’s undergraduate 2,281 students identify as Hispanic. They contribute to a dynamic and supportive scholarly community that values learners with diverse backgrounds and experiences. In addition to racial and ethnic diversity, the College remains committed to ensuring access to high-quality education for determined learners without regard to their financial means—here, half of all undergraduate students are eligible for Pell Grants and we offer generous institutionally funded financial aid. In the most recently completed academic year, more than $37 million was offered in scholarships and awards.
“I am thrilled that we have received this significant grant from the Department of Education and also for the opportunity it creates for our students,” said President Susan R. Burns, Ph.D. “This validates the work that we are doing at the University of Mount Saint Vincent to understand each students’ journey—we are not only meeting them where they are, but we are walking alongside them as they achieve their goals. Federal recognition like this expands offerings for all students—specifically our Hispanic students and those from underrepresented backgrounds—helping us to establish a suite of new academic supports and services, and promoting post-enrollment success leading to graduation. So much hard work across campus has led us to this moment and I am thankful to all who had a part in its development.”
The College will utilize the DHSI grant to develop a suite of new resources, but most importantly, the funds will continue to ensure the support of our students, positioning them to overcome any struggles in STEM areas, while helping them to develop notable analytical and quantitative skills.
Plans include the creation of support modules for 15 gateway and advanced STEM courses, as well as the establishment of two new positions to provide real-time assistance to students: a quantitative and analytical skills specialist to provide personalized and group tutoring to students in any major, housed in the existing Academic Resource Center; and an academic success coach/advisor to provide holistic student support, including career guidance and preparation, to low-income students in any major.
The College also looks to expand its resources for high-impact undergraduate research by creating a vibrant new faculty research fellowship program, involving students and peer mentors. This faculty program will be accompanied by new laboratory equipment and supplies, and will be sustained with a new endowment—the College will match the federal contribution with institutional fund—targeting Hispanic and low-income participation.
This is the third DHSI grant the College has been awarded—Mount Saint Vincent previously received funding from 2000-2005 and 2014-2019.
“The College has been designated as an HSI for more than two decades, and we are proud to be among that collection of colleges and universities which are leading the effort to make higher education more attainable,” said Daniel Regan, Associate Vice President for External Relations and Senior Grants Officer. “This grant is recognition of all the College has done, and the great potential for the initiatives implemented by Dr. Burns, to meet learners where they are and how they need us.”
Every young person at the College—the Right Place on the River—deserves the chance to receive a quality education. And with this DHSI grant, we look forward to doing even more for our students as we help them to define and achieve their goals.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.