One of Only 6 Colleges in the Nation Recognized for Promoting Equitable Access, Success and Post-College Outcomes


PostsecondarySuccessLogo-(1).png

 
The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday that Hostos Community College, a CUNY school in the South Bronx, is a winner of the inaugural Postsecondary Success Recognition Program (PSRP) award. The College is one of only 6 institutions chosen from hundreds of eligible colleges throughout the country to receive this recognition. According to Nasser Paydar, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Hostos was selected because its work “is a shining example of the transformative power of higher education, especially for underserved students.”
 
“As a Community College in the South Bronx, the poorest congressional district in the United States, our mission is to provide social mobility through education and to create lifelong learners who will uplift their communities for generations to come,” said Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.  “We understand that for our students the stakes are high, and the challenges can seem insurmountable. That is why we dedicate ourselves to relentlessly supporting our students and helping them get their degrees with a “manos a la obra / all hands on deck” ethos that informs everything we do. While our students’ success is the highest reward, on behalf of the entire faculty and staff of Hostos Community College, I want to express our most sincere gratitude to the U.S Dept. of Education for this recognition of our efforts. Mil gracias y bendiciones.”
 
Student Government President Dainma Martinez says “Hostos has been more than just an institution for me; it has been a community that understands the challenges students like me face. The support provided by Hostos goes beyond academics; it empowers us to find our voice, pursue our goals, and prepares us to lead, to uplift, and to inspire change in our communities. As a student and the President of the Student Government Association, I have seen firsthand the transformative impact of Hostos. This award is not just a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff but also to the perseverance of every student who walks through our doors. This achievement is a shared victory, one that reflects our collective efforts to ensure education remains accessible and life changing for everyone, regardless of their circumstances.
 
"Hostos Community College is a proven engine of opportunity and upward mobility in the South Bronx that for more than 55 years has helped to lift a diverse population of New Yorkers and newcomers,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “As a proud former president of Hostos, it comes as no surprise that it has been selected as one of just six winners nationwide for the inaugural Postsecondary Success Recognition Program. I want to express my heartfelt congratulations to President Daisy Cocco De Filippis and the entire Hostos community for this prestigious recognition and thank Secretary Miguel Cardona for his commitment to underserved students nationwide.”
 
The program is designed to help elevate some lesser known schools and redefine what makes schools prestigious. “Imagine a world where schools with the most Pell Grant recipients are ranked highest” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.  “Where ‘prestige’ is defined by preparing graduates well to enter the workforce and lead fulfilling lives and careers—sometimes right in their own communities. Imagine universities that are raising the bar for access and equity becoming household names. This award envisions a world where that is possible. Instead of giving schools high marks for the number of students they turn down, we want to recognize schools doing the most to lift students up.”
 
As part of this recognition, The College is invited to join Secretary Cardona, Under Secretary James Kvaal, and Assistant Secretary Paydar for a celebratory event at the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, January 14. This event will honor the Department’s achievements during the Biden-Harris Administration, and will feature this year’s PSRP winners. The other winners include Miami Dade College, Salish Kootenai College, San Jose State University, University of South Carolina - Upstate, and University of Texas at Arlington.
 
See the U.S. Department of Education’s Press Release here.
 
About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College
Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for over half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.

Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and one certificate program that facilitate secure transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. A two-time Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence finalist, the College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos also boasts both men's and women's basketball teams, which have won multiple CUNY Athletic Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association championships, with the women's team making history in 2024 as the only team ever to secure seven consecutive titles in CUNY’s history. The College is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 25 colleges.

For inquiries, email publicrelations@hostos.cuny.edu.