Comprehensive Efforts to Boost Access, Financial Aid, Academic Support and Career Opportunities
A recurring theme across our coverage has been the underrepresentation of Hispanic students and the ongoing need for strong, high-quality support. This support generally consists of four main pillars: academic, financial, emotional, and cultural. Every institution and organization featured this year shows a clear awareness of these needs and has developed solid programs to address them, usually as part of a holistic, multipronged approach that recognizes their interrelated nature. Several of this year’s articles highlight comprehensive support programs at the graduate level – where Hispanic/Latino students are especially underrepresented. Katherine Powers and Volker Janssen’s article Project upGRADS Addresses Academic Barriers for Latinx Graduate Students describes Cal State Fullerton’s federally funded Project upGRADS, which enhances Latinx and underrepresented students’ access to graduate education through advising, mentorship, scholarships, and cultural awareness programs. These efforts have significantly improved enrollment, retention, and graduation rates while fostering community and institutional transformation.Initiatives like the Master's Early Transition program, Pa’lante Fellowship, and professional development workshops help students navigate graduate school, and prepare for their careers, as well as fostering peer connections. The project has increased Latinx graduate enrollment to 36% and earned national recognition as a 2024 Example of Excelencia.
In Nova Southeastern University: Shaping the Next Generation of Underrepresented Leaders, Meline Kervokian explains how the largest private research university in Florida, serving more than 20,000 students, has become a top PhD-granting institution . Through Title V grants, scholarships, and innovative pathways, the university provides top-level academic support for Hispanic and underrepresented students, particularly in STEM and graduate programs. The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) also illustrates a strong institutional commitment to inclusion and diversity. As described by Carlos Sadovi in The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Provides a Home for Latino Graduate Students, programs such as LARES, L@S GANAS, Bridge to Faculty and Summer Research Opportunity Program demonstrate targeted recruitment strategies and comprehensive support systems for minority students, particularly Latinos.
Community colleges are known for their flexible, comprehensive approaches to supporting students. In CCBA: Community College Baccalaureate Programs are Meeting the Educational Needs of Latino Students, Dr. Angela Kersenbrock shows how the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) promotes the expansion of bachelor's degrees at community colleges. These degrees–aligned with local industry needs and offering flexible formats– provide affordable, flexible, and workforce-ready pathways for working adults balancing jobs and family. By producing skilled graduates who stay in their communities, CCBs help fill workforce gaps while increasing representation and opportunity for historically underserved populations.
The first step of a multipronged strategy to support Hispanic/Latino students is to help them participate in higher education, through pre-college programs. As Christie Counts explains in Cal Poly Pomona: Bridging Gaps and Building Futures with Project CAMINOS, this project, funded by a Title V HSI grant, supports first-generation and underserved students through three main pillars – outreach, advising and transition programs, and faculty professional development. The first two of these pillars consist of activities that “demystify” higher education for students and their families, through a variety of innovative programs that include workshops on financial aid, one-on-one counselling with high schools, and even outreach to elementary schools. The Bronco Scholars program offers academic preparation, mentorship, and outreach to high school students, who live on campus for six weeks in the summer while taking maths courses and connecting with peer mentors and faculty; over 500 students have participated.
Another two articles illustrate the power of pre-college programs, as well as other initiatives that bolster students’ engagement and leadership skills once they have embarked upon a degree. In San Jacinto College Ignites STEM Pathways: From Campus to Community, Dr. Rachel García presents the Take Flight STEM Pathway, a collaboration with Rice University and Lone Star College, which aims at sparking STEM interest among K–12 students while creating research pathways for undergraduates. She also details the college’s eleven STEM degrees, and the support students receive for academic, technical and advanced STEM engagement through faculty development, student research, community outreach events, hands-on expos, and university partnerships. Likewise, in Elevating and Empowering Young Hispanics: Southeastern University’s Pre-College and Leadership Program, Dr. Aristides “Ari” Baraya describes two major initiatives: the Young Hispanic Pre-College Preparation and Leadership Program (HPCL) for high school students and the Latin American Business and Development Initiative (LABDI). Both aim to broaden global perspectives and strengthen entrepreneurial and leadership capacities while preserving cultural identity.
Workforce development is also essential for putting students on the road to success. In Bridging Opportunity Gaps: VIDA’s Innovative Approach to Latino Workforce Development in South Texas, president and CEO Felida Villarreal addresses a striking paradox: while 27% of nursing positions in South Texas remain unfilled (totaling 6,274 vacant healthcare jobs), the region simultaneously struggles with unemployment rates nearly double the national average and poverty levels over 25%. Through a holistic support model combining education, financial aid, counseling, and partnerships with hospitals, colleges, and national organizations, VIDA has a measurable impact. Its participants now earn average annual salaries of $57,720, significantly higher than pre-programs earnings and its programs maintain an 83% completion rate.
Financing education is another major challenge, one that TheDream.US confronts head-on. In Talent Knows No Status – How TheDream.US Supports Dreamers’ Success in College and Beyond, Dr. Hyein Lee, Chief Operating Officer at TheDream.US, explains that the organization has awarded over 12,000 scholarships in 13 years, helping more than 4,500 Dreamers graduate. Recently, it has expanded its eligibility criteria to accommodate students who no longer have access to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. TheDream.US not only funds education but also offers career support, internships, entrepreneurial resources, and legal assistance through its 80 Partner Colleges.
Mentorship is also a key strategy for improving academic outcomes and persistence in college, emphasized by many of the programs and initiatives profiled this year. In Addressing the Lack of Mentorship for Underrepresented Faculty in Communication Science and Disorders (CSD), Part I (October 2025), Dr. Linda Carozza, Kiara Medina, and Jennifer Rosenstein, provide an overview of research on why mentorship is essential for faculty from underrepresented minorities—especially within CSD—and how structural barriers limit access to it. Part II, published in this December issue, delves deeper into the causes of underrepresentation—pipeline issues, unequal access to mentorship, inconsistent financial support, and limited guidance during the application process. Part III (coming in January) will present mentorship models and best practices that can help move the field forward.
Fostering Culturally Rooted Leadership: Programs Supporting Cultural Pride, Community Engagement and the Arts
Many of the programs and initiatives profiled in our pages this year highlight the importance of recognizing Hispanic/Latino students’ backgrounds as a strength, and ensuring that they have the individual and community support necessary to draw upon their valuable bilingual and bicultural resources and forge a strong sense of identity and cultural pride. This is achieved through a variety of means, including peer mentorship, university cultural associations, engagement with local community organizations and programs that encourage cultural expression and pride through the arts.
A clear example of this culturally-based approach can be seen in Cutivating Conscious, Culturally Grounded Leaders in North Carolina Through LÍDER: Carolina Leadership Institute. In this article, Marcela Torres-Cervantes takes us through LÍDER, a culturally rooted leadership program by the Carolina Latinx Center, which empowers diverse undergraduate students in North Carolina through yearlong retreats, workshops, and community-building. It fosters identity, resilience, and adaptive leadership, valuing authenticity, collaboration, and presence over traditional leadership metrics. Friends University also engages in this type of leadership development, as presented in Latino Leadership That Soars: How the Friends University Latino Leadership Program Does More by Shaylee Gibbs. Central to their model is mentorship: each student is paired with three mentors—peer, academic, and community—who provide personalized guidance, leadership development, and career preparation, and guaranteed internships. The program emphasizes faith-based service, community engagement, and culturally affirming activities like the Latino Leadership Summit, helping students lead with purpose and pride in their heritage.
Raúl D. Gutiérrez, Professor and Chair of Latinx Studies and Spanish at Holyoke Community College, expands this vision in Building Pathways: Latinx Studies at Holyoke Community College. He explains how the College’s Latinx Studies Program - originating from a 2015 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Bridging Cultures Grant– integrates academic coursework with hands-on experiences such as internships and service learning with local Latinx organizations. Oral Roberts University also contributed to Hispanics/Latinos’ advancement through many strategies, which include focusing on students’ cultural backgrounds and strengths. In Celebrating Culture While Building Community at Oral Roberts University, the article outlines how ORU has doubled Hispanic/Latino enrollment since 2015 thanks to targeted outreach, bilingual admissions support, and community partnerships. Students benefit from programs like PAVE, the Student Success Office, and culturally responsive teaching from diverse faculty. Events such as Culture Fest and collaborations with local Hispanic organizations strengthens cultural pride, family engagement and student success–academically, socially, and spiritually.
In Where Heritage Meets Higher Education: Felician’s Commitment as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Kristen Bombel presents Felician University as a proud HSI dedicated to creating the academic conditions needed for underrepresented students’ growth. The Title V-funded FALCONS Connect and GRIT programs provide mentorship, college readiness, and personal development to improve retention and academic outcomes for Hispanic students. Collaborations with organizations such as Goya Foods and Excelencia in Education expand professional development, research opportunities, and institutional connections to better serve Hispanic/Latino students.
Fairleigh Dickinson University’s contribution highlights a similar commitment to bilingual and culturally informed support. In Fairleigh Dickinson University: Gateway to Success for Hispanic College Students, Dr. Irene Oujo, Executive Director of the Hispanic Center and Center for Student Success, outlines programs such as Puerta Al Futuro, which recognizes students’ prior academic background while strengthening English proficiency. Other initiatives like Latino Promise, HACER, and Avanza are all designed to remove sociocultural and economic barriers to graduation and career advancement.
Cultural heritage, the arts and students’ advancement are deeply interconnected, a view shared by many organizations such as NALAC. In NALAC: A Beacon of Light for Latinx/é Arts, Lucila Lagace, the organization’s research manager, explains how NALAC has championed Latinx/é arts since 1989 by providing funding, leadership development, and research for underrepresented communities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Their 2024–2025 national study expands previous assessments with updated data, outreach tools, and digital resources designed to better understand the need of Latinx/é organizations and promote more equitable future cultural policies.
In Afro-Latin Culture and Community at Hyde Square Task Force, Brittney Lewer describes how Hyde Square Task Force empowers Boston youth through Afro-Latin arts, civic engagement, and academic support. Its Jóvenes en Acción and Caminos programs provide stipends, tutoring, mentorship, emotional support, and postsecondary guidance up to age 25, regardless of income.
Spanish Language and Latin American Studies Programs
Finally, in 2025 several colleges and universities provided us with profiles of innovative, dynamic programs that focus on Spanish Language learning and on Latin American Studies. When Hispanic/Latino students take part in these programs as “heritage learners”, they strengthen connections with their own roots and also become part of key transnational networks, which undoubtedly contribute to their skills and overall development. These programs are also enriching for students of all ethnicities, helping them broaden their knowledge of the world and thus contribute to a more open society where the complexity of all cultural backgrounds is better understood.
Several contributions this year explored the relevance, growth and evolving presence of the Spanish language in the academic landscape. In Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Georgetown University: Shaping Global Citizens, Dr. Cristina Sanz describes how the department bridges the humanities and social sciences through conferences, research and international collaborations. It also offers inclusive programs such as heritage speaker tracks, study abroad, and professional language courses that equip students with practical, critical, and intercultural skills for global engagement. Likewise, in Supporting Cross-Cultural Understanding through the Spanish Major at Meredith College, Melyssa Allen underscores how Meredith College offers study abroad opportunities, community engagement and strong faculty support, leading students to Fulbright awards, and also integrates Spanish into other fields, such as a planned Spanish for Healthcare course.
The growing importance of integrating Spanish into other fields is highlighted in several of this year’s articles. For example, the Spanish program at Briar Cliff University, as explained by Dr. Wilfrido Suárez-Meza in The Spanish Program at Briar Cliff University: A gateway to Language, Culture, and Global Impact, blends language instruction, cultural immersion, study abroad, internships, project-based learning, and research opportunities. Together, these elements prepare students with bilingual proficiency, cultural competence, professional experience, and leadership skills for a wide range of careers. A clear example of the university’s commitment is the Latino Cultural Competence in Social Work program. In Bridging Cultures, Building Futures: Briar Cliff University’s Latino Cultural Competence in Social Work, Margarite Reinert & Wilfrido Suárez-Meza describe this interdisciplinary program that combines social work principles, Spanish language training, and community engagement, to equip future social workers with the knowledge, skills, and linguistic capacity necessary to engage meaningfully with Latino communities.
The National Association of Medical Spanish, a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to advancing high-quality Spanish communication in healthcare, has made key contributions in this area. In Driven by Passion, Guided by Evidence: How NAMS is Transforming Healthcare by Supporting Patient-Clinician Communication en Español, president and founder Pilar Ortega explains that one of NAMS’ most impactful achievements is the Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix (POLOM) Certification Exam, a publicly available rating instrument designed to formally evaluate a clinician’s readiness to communicate directly with patients in Spanish without relying on a medical interpreter.
Finally, two articles present programs that offer opportunities for students to engage with Latin America. Columbia Global Center Santiago: Bridging Academia and Innovation in Latin America, by Carla Magri, highlights the longstanding relationship between Columbia University and Latin America through the Columbia Global Center Santiago. For decades, the Center has fostered collaboration in education, research, innovation, and alumni engagement integrating the university’s expertise with regional knowledge to address both global and local challenges.
The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Salt Lake Community College offers another example of a successful educational connection between the United States and Latin America. In Bridging Cultures and Careers: The Transformative Power of the Center for Latin American Studies at Salt Lake Community College, Verónica Aguilera Sánchez describes the Center as a hub for interdisciplinary and transformative learning by connecting students with Latin America through research, study abroad, cultural experiences, and collaboration.
Presidents’ Insights: The Voices of Visionary College and University Leaders
Presidents of colleges and universities also had a strong presence this year, offering valuable insights into leadership, institutional transformation, and the future of higher education through both interviews and contributed articles. We deeply appreciate their generosity in sharing their time and expertise with Hispanic Outlook and its readers.
In Dr. Lisa Cardoza: American River College’s Geatest Cheerleader, Michelle Adam highlights Dr. Cardoza’s remarkable trajectory in education. As the first Latina president of American River College, she leads an institution serving over 30,000 students, 48% of whom are adult learners. President Cardoza is deeply committed to expanding support for Hispanic/Latino students through initiatives such as Project Adelante, a program which promotes equity and belonging on campus, and the Creciente Latinx Leadership program, which supports emerging leaders in the Sacramento region.
, Dr. Michael J. McDonough, president of Raritan Valley Community College, offers a valuable contribution detailing the college’s holistic approach to academic, emotional and financial support, in RVCC Programs Offer Hope, Opportunities, and Support for Latino Students. Flagship initiatives include CRECER, designed to ease transition from high schools to college by connecting Hispanic/Latino students with mentors and campus resources, and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), which provides financial assistance, academic guidance, and personal development opportunities to traditionally underserved students.
We also had the priviledge of featuring a contributed article by Dr. Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College. In Miami Dade College: Transforming Education and Growing Tomorrow’s Workforce, president Pumariega outlines the college’s extraordinary economic impact –$7 billion statewide, supporting 62,000 jobs– and its unwavering commitment to serving a student body that is nearly 77% Hispanic. Through tailored pathways, hands-on learning, and direct access to high-paying careers, MDC continues to drive upward mobility for tens of thousands of students.
Finally, in Building Bridges at Rancho Santiago: Marvin Martinez’s Vision for Latino and Adult Learners, Frank DiMaria presents the inspiring story of chancellor Marvin Martinez, whose journey from immigrating from El Salvador when he was 9 to a 36-year career in higher education exemplifies resilience and service. Since his appointment as chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College System in 2019, he has focused on expanding access to education, advocating for Latino students, and promoting community college partnerships, workforce development, and adult education to meet changing demographics and uplift underrepresented communities.
