NJIT Earns Hispanic-Serving Status from US Dept. of Education

On Feb 27, 2024

A goal outlined in NJIT’s 2025 strategic plan, the status is key to the institute deepening its diversity and better serving its home city of Newark and the nation. Supporting the goal was the launch of the university’s Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council, which seeks to fuel the enrollment of Hispanic students and deepen relationships with Hispanic and Latinx alumni, businesses and organizations.

These efforts helped NJIT grow its Hispanic undergrad population from 20% to 25% in the fall of 2022 — just three enrollment cycles while at the same time expanded its total enrollment to over 13,000 students — and enabled the university to reach the eligibility threshold for HSI status. The Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education confirmed the status in a letter recently.

“This designation makes us eligible for federal grants that can expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and Latinx students and improve their outcomes,” President Teik C. Lim said. “It also reaffirms our commitment to diversify our student body and deliver a holistic education that creates economic opportunity for all of our graduates, particularly first-generation students.”

Nationally, NJIT becomes one of the few colleges or universities that are both Hispanic-serving and operating at the highest tier of research: R1, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The R1 pool itself is selective with less than 150 institutions at that level. In addition, NJIT is the only New Jersey university with such dual status.

The HSI achievement comes five months after the university welcomed its largest and most diverse class ever — with underrepresented students comprising half the class — and a year after it earned the federal designation of being a minority-serving institution that serves Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders.

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

Related Articles: