STARS Grant
Success in Transfer & Retention for Students (STARS) Grant
What is a Developing Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Title V grant?
The Federal Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Programs – Title V grant provides
assistance to HSIs in order to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the
attainment of Hispanic/Latinx students. They also enable HSIs to expand and enhance
their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability. The mission
of the programs under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) is to improve
student services, including innovative and customized instruction courses designed
to retain students; articulation agreements and student support programs designed
to facilitate transfer of students from two-year to four-year institutions; and provide
education, counseling services, and financial information designed to improve the
financial and economic literacy of students and their families.
NDNU’s HSI Grant – Success in Transfer and Retention for Students (STARS) Project:
The STARS project at NDNU is a hub for students transferring from community college
to NDNU’s 2-year bachelor’s degree completion programs. The project targets three
focus areas: Transfer and Articulation, Retention and Graduation, and Professional
Development. It’s our disposition to partner with community colleges, student leaders,
staff and faculty in order to empower students to pursue higher education, successfully
attain their baccalaureate degree, and climb the socioeconomic ladder in their career
pathways.
Our mission:
Encouraging social-emotional and lifelong learning through a student centeredness
approach, we strive to create an intercultural campus. We support undergraduate transfer
students in their academic journeys by providing wrap-around support – mentorship,
information about campus resources, life-skills workshops, and opportunities to build
social capital. Our holistic perspective generates a growth mindset, belonging, and
empowerment to ensure the success of all students.
Services Provided by NDNU’s STARS Project:
- Outreach and 1:1 transfer admission support
- Summer bridge student program
- Peer mentorship program
- Financial literacy and other life skills workshops
- Textbook lending library
- Streamlines to optimal campus resources
STARS: A Plan for Growth and Student Success To improve undergraduate education, NDNU identified four significant challenges (2017) and developed a five-year plan to address them:
- Transfer enrollment and need to develop proper support for transfer students.
- Retention rates steady, but graduation rates declined.
- Most faculty had not received professional development on culturally-relevant teaching.
Goals and Objectives by September 30, 2025:
- Increase overall transfer enrollment.
- Increase Hispanic, transfer, and Pell-eligible first-to-third year retention rates.
- Improve undergradaute three-year and six-year graduation rates.
- Increase faculty attendance and training that addresses cultural relevance and student needs.
Institutionalizing the STARS Grant Initiatives
NDNU is committed to sustaining the STARS initiatives beyond the grant period. Long-term support will be identified as the project activities progress and demonstrate positive outcomes.