Bergen County school gets $3M grant to help Hispanic students prepare for college

Felician University has been awarded a $600,000 federal education grant that could grow to $3 million over the next five years to help the school expand educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

The university, with campuses in Lodi and Rutherford, was awarded the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant by the Department of Education, according to an announcement by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson. He called the grant "a boon for those seeking to further their education, contribute to our economy and achieve professional success."

The grant is for five years, with the first $600,000 installment expected in the fall of 2024 and similar amounts expected through the beginning of the 2028 school year, said Maura DeNicola, Felician's vice president of external relations.

DeNicola said the grant will bolster summer programs to prepare incoming Hispanic students to be more “college-ready” and fund the opening of two drop-in centers on each of the school’s campuses, called Falcon Commons, where Hispanic students can get support from bilingual staff.

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"In serving this population, Felician has identified certain barriers to Hispanic students. These students generally come from low-income families and are first-generation. They're either emergent bilingual or multi-lingual, and for the most part, they're our commuter students," DeNicola said. "In order to ensure their success to degree completion, we have a number of programs already in place. This grant will allow us to enhance those programs."

Hispanics make up 38% of Felician's overall student body, including 40% of undergraduates.

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Felician University gets $3 million grant to help Hispanic students