Cuesta College gets federal ‘Hispanic-serving’ designation

Cuesta College has been designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.

HSI schools are required to have a total Hispanic enrollment of at least 25 percent, according to a news release. Cuesta currently has 33 percent — up from 24 percent in 2010.

The designation allows the college to apply for Title III or Title V grants that can help Hispanic and low-income students accomplish their educational goals, according to the release. The college is in the process of applying for a Title III grant, which allows a school to expand educational opportunities and improve the attainment of Hispanic students. The specific grant would disburse $92 million in funding to colleges to fund STEM programs over a five-year period.

Cuesta College will receive notification of the grant award status in August 2016.

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Cuesta College gets federal ‘Hispanic-serving’ designation."