Kenosha Herzing campus receives Hispanic-Serving Institution status

A recent designation by the U.S. Department of Education has allowed Herzing University's Kenosha campus to further support students and programs.

Herzing has been named a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, and received a grant to support students and programs on its campus. The DOE awarded nearly $50 million total to a number of universities across the U.S.

Herzing's Regional President Jeff Hill said the distinction was something the university didn't seek out, but was rather notified of by the DOE.

The grant funding, however, was something the university pursued through the Title Five Developing Hispanic Institutions Program.

"We're always looking to find ways to support our students more effectively. It's part of our mission," Hill said. "So we applied for this grant, and we were notified maybe two months ago that we were one of 50 institutions that was receiving funding."

Hill said the total is $2.7 million over five years, and will be focused on reducing the financial barriers for enrollment, providing additional social support for students and improving the academic and post-graduation performance of students.

"The hope is, not only will this grant help support more of our students to be successful, but that should also benefit our community," He said. "Since we graduate so many nurses, that should increase the number of nurses that are going out to care for members of our population."

To support students, in addition to the counseling services provided, Hill said the grant would allow for an increase in hours that could be offered to students, additional tutoring services and English assistance.

"There's a number of programs and initiatives that are part of this grant, and we're confident they're going to help not only the academic support of the students, but the non academic ones as well," Hill said.

Hill said the HSI and grant also "really reinforces Herzing's mission to foster an inclusive environment, both within our university and in the communities where we serve."

"The mission of our university is to educate, support and empower all students for success in work, learning and in the communities they serve," he said. "And I think it reinforces both the quality of our education and also the recognition by the Department of Education on the service we provide our students."

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