Courtesy photo.
OXNARD — Oxnard College has received a $3 million federal Title V grant to provide support for equitable student outcomes among Latinx and low-income students as they pursue their career and transfer goals. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) throughout the country applied for this competitive grant, which will begin Oct. 1 and be distributed over a five-year period. The grant is directed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (DHSI).
“It is both a privilege and a tremendous opportunity for Oxnard College to receive and invest these funds in our students,” said Oscar Cobian, the college’s vice president of student development. “For decades, Oxnard College has proudly served the hardworking Latinx families of Ventura County. Step into any of our classrooms and you will find that our students facing the greatest adversity often show the most dedication and demonstrate tremendous potential. With this grant, we will tap into that potential and help our students build better lives through the transformative power of higher education.”
The Department of Education’s grant will help Oxnard College achieve higher levels of success among its primarily Hispanic student population through enhanced student success programs and employee professional development initiatives. Under the grant’s project title “Proyecto Éxito*,” Oxnard College intends for the Title V funding to support the following:
•Hiring an employee for the college’s Career Center to help guide students in career exploration and planning, and to assist with internship placement.
•Hiring an employee in the Transfer Center to help students who are interested in transferring to UC/CSU campuses.
•Hosting outreach events for prospective students, their families and the community.
•Providing professional development activities for faculty and classified staff who will be instrumental in building a culture of career and transfer readiness throughout the college.
“Many of our students with the greatest talent and drive often struggle to navigate the college transfer process,” shared Letty Mojica, who oversees Oxnard College’s Transfer Center. “This grant will help us build on our efforts to support and empower students as they work toward their goal of transferring to four-year colleges and universities.”
Oxnard College has been a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution since its inception in 1975, and approximately 75 percent of the college’s students identify as Latinx or Hispanic. This grant continues the college’s long-standing legacy of successfully leveraging federal funds from the DHSI to build institutional capacity for student success. It is the sixth competitive grant awarded to Oxnard College in the last decade by the U.S. Department of Education.
To learn more about Oxnard College’s efforts to support students’ transfer and career goals, visit the college’s Career Center and Transfer Center websites.
* Oxnard College Proyecto Éxito is funded by the US Department of Education, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. In 2020-21 federal funding totals $600,000.
About Oxnard College — Oxnard College is one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District and annually serves more than 7,000 students. Founded in 1975, Oxnard College is fully accredited and has been ranked the 4th Best Community College in California. It is also a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. Oxnard College’s signature programs include marine biology; culinary arts, restaurant management and hospitality management; auto technology and fire technology, among many other undergraduate study and career technical education programs. The Dream Resource Center is a valuable student and community resource. Oxnard College’s dental hygiene program has a 100% pass rate on national and board exams. To learn more, visit Oxnard College and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.