Hispanic-Serving Institution

An HSI designation is granted by the U.S. Department of Education to eligible nonprofit institutions with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment. NCC currently has approximately 32% Hispanic students across its campuses and locations.

Approximately 32% of NCC’s student population identifies as Hispanic.

NCC is one of eight Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Pennsylvania.

The HSI designation does not directly increase student financial aid or automatically provide additional funding to students. Instead, it makes NCC eligible to apply for certain federal grants intended to strengthen institutional services and support underserved student populations.

Potential uses include translation and/or interpretation services, enhanced counseling, faculty development, and efforts to diversify the college workforce.

Student suggested developing a program through which bilingual students could receive work-study funding, academic credit, or another form of compensation while serving as trained student ambassadors or translators. The concept was discussed as a possible way to both address language-access needs and create opportunities for bilingual students.

Participants suggested establishing a dedicated HSI office to coordinate programming, outreach, language access, and other HSI-related initiatives. One suggestion was that the office could potentially be housed within CCEI as an initial or interim structure. Dr. Singer expressed openness to the idea and indicated that it would require further administrative discussion.

The idea of an HSI Student Success Council consisting of faculty, staff, and students was suggested. This group would aid in mapping out existing programs, identifying gaps, and coordinating efforts around the student experience. Dr. Singer responded positively and emphasized the importance of student involvement in future planning.

Participants suggested that the college’s workforce should more closely reflect the diversity of its student population. Dr. Singer agreed that workforce representation is an important consideration and identified it as an area in which the HSI designation could potentially contribute to institutional change.

Participants discussed programs such as Bienvenida Day, a Spanish-language orientation for families, and highlighted the long history and institutional knowledge of the Hispanic Caucus. Participants noted that some programs diminished when individual champions left the college and suggested that successful initiatives should be institutionalized rather than dependent upon individual employees.

Student participant described the difficulty some students experience when trying to identify the appropriate office or resource and noted that students may be redirected between multiple departments. Participants emphasized the need for clearer and more accessible information pathways. Dr. Singer acknowledged that NCC has not yet fully solved the challenge of communicating available resources effectively to all students.

Participants suggested that HSI-related information and services should be communicated not only to current students but also to families and the broader community.

Participants shared concerns about first-generation students having difficulty locating assistance, applying for scholarships, and navigating college processes without parental guidance. Dr. Singer noted that Dr. Iris Espinosa is developing a college-wide firstgeneration student support program, which was still in its early stages.

Dr. Singer explained that students in credit-bearing ESL programs have advisors. Non-credit ESL students receive advising through the Center for College and Career Readiness through a less formal structure.

Participants suggested redesigning advising so students can more easily transition from non-credit ESL programs into credit-bearing coursework.

Professor Beatrice Villar raised concerns about the potential relationship between HSI programming, federal funding, and the current political environment. Dr. Singer acknowledged the concern and explained that NCC had recently paused a scholarship specifically for Hispanic women in STEM because it could potentially be viewed as providing a preference to a specific group under current federal scrutiny. He described NCC’s current approach as developing initiatives that benefit Hispanic students while also providing broader benefits to the student population.

Participants suggested publishing information such as students’ majors, campus/location, socioeconomic background, and other demographic information to increase transparency and demonstrate the college’s HSI population. Dr. Singer noted that some demographic information is already available through the U.S. Department of Education’s College Navigator and that NCC internally tracks equity gaps.

Participants encouraged NCC to broadly publicize the designation through press releases, billboards, website communications, and other marketing efforts. Dr. Singer agreed that celebrating and promoting the designation was important.

Participants proposed a centralized webpage to help students and employees locate HSI-related grants and scholarships, including opportunities for Hispanic and firstgeneration students. Dr. Singer supported the idea and noted the importance of acting promptly because HSI designation and related funding opportunities operate within annual cycles.

Sarah Dauman proposed developing a Heritage Spanish course or program and noted that it could potentially contribute to a pipeline of students with formal Spanishlanguage skills who could support translation needs. Dr. Singer expressed enthusiasm for the idea and noted that students with Spanish proficiency can potentially earn up to nine college credits through the CLEP Spanish examination. He also noted that there are other options for covering the cost of the examination for eligible students.

<p.Participant raised concerns regarding Spanish-speaking students interested in the Nurse Aide program and the possibility that students could invest significant time and money in training but encounter language barriers when completing the certification examination. Dr. Singer recalled an existing grant program through the Center for College and Career Readiness that connects ESL students with healthcare career pathways.

Participant asked whether NCC would consider offering a Hispanic graduation ceremony. It was noted that other Hispanic Serving Institutions offer such a ceremony and could serve as a potential model. Dr. Singer did not make a commitment but acknowledged that the idea could be explored through a future planning group.