Palo Alto University Designated as Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)

Strengthening Opportunities for Latinx Students to Pursue Fields of Psychology and Counseling

Palo Alto University (PAU) has been named a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education, a designation that recognizes PAU’s commitment to inclusive excellence for Hispanic students. PAU is now eligible to apply for federal funds that may fund training, programs, and infrastructure that recruit Latinx students and ensure their academic success.    “We are proud that the U.S. Department of Education now recognizes PAU as a Hispanic Serving Institution,” says Palo University President, Maureen O’Connor. “This designation underscores PAU’s commitment to diversity and represents a collective effort by our faculty, students, and staff to support Latinx students.”   “We are thrilled to have the HSI designation,” says Ricardo Muñoz, PhD, PAU distinguished professor of clinical psychology. “This strengthens our ability to bring more Latinx and other minoritized students into the field of psychology, so they can better serve their communities.”   Hispanic Serving Institutions were created under the Higher Education Act (HEA) in 1992 to expand the educational opportunities of the country's rapidly growing Hispanic population and to improve Hispanic students' measures of academic attainment. To become a designated HSI, an institution's undergraduate enrollment must be at least 25 percent Hispanic (defined as an individual of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin).   

Learn more about this designation and the PAU programs that serve Hispanic students and communities.