California Lutheran University was awarded $2,967,668 in grants from the U.S. Department of Education to help students with career pathways and professional development.
A five-year grant worth $2,807,976 for the Vocational Identity and Talent in Academic Learning (VITAL) program, will help to increase retention and completion rates among Hispanic and low-income students, and help prepare them for careers. As part of the university’s mission as a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), the grant “will bring us nearer to closing equity gaps at Cal Lutheran,” said Maria Thayer, the school’s director of HSI and DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion and justice) initiatives.
The grant was funded through the Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program, which provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of, Hispanic students. Cal Lutheran is one of only 171 private, four-year HSIs in the country.