Butte College
News Announcement

Butte College Receives $3 Million Grant to Support Latinx and Low-income Students

Butte College received a significant boost to support Hispanic/Latinx and low-income students thanks to a $3 million, five-year grant award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program.

DHSI grants are available to colleges and universities designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Approximately 31 percent of Butte College students identify as Hispanic/Latinx. 

The grant will fund the Center for Access, Support & Achievement (CASA) project and will provide a comprehensive support network for student success, completion and transfer. The CASA project will focus on increasing the number of Hispanic/Latinx and low-income (H/LI) students that enroll, complete a certificate and/or persist through transfer-level math and English to complete transfer requirements for a successful transition to a four-year university.

The three primary CASA components are: 

One: Increase the enrollment and financial literacy preparation for Hispanic and low-income students.  
Two: Enhance and implement completion and retention strategies to increase course success and progression in transfer-level math and English and improve the completion time for degree/certificate and transfer. 
Three: Target professional development and sustainability opportunities to improve culturally responsive pedagogy course alignment to Guided Pathways and increase the college’s resource development capacity to strengthen fiscal stability. 

The CASA project’s first two components will establish an outreach and academic support plan that will begin at a student’s entry to the college through to completion and/or transfer. CASA will provide structured and persistent student advising, financial literacy training and workshops.

The project will incorporate early-career preparedness, financial wellness and research or work-based learning into programs, such as “WeekZero” – a summer bridge program for students seeking STEM degrees. It will also help faculty develop and integrate early career exploration instruction into courses and Guided Pathways as well as provide students with dedicated advising and career planning. The CASA project will implement strategies and interventions that meet and support students' social, emotional and academic needs. 

“We are thrilled to partner with the U.S. Department of Education to expand and support educational opportunities for our Hispanic/Latinx and low-income students. This grant will significantly increase our students’ abilities to persist and to reach their educational and career goals,” said Virginia Guleff, Butte College President.

The U.S. Department of Education Title V grants are awarded to financially assist Hispanic-Serving Institutions to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of, Hispanic students. These grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability. Butte College became a federally designated HSI in 2018.

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