Loading audio file, please wait.
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $900,000 grant to Indiana University Northwest to address the basic needs of students.
The funding aims to ensure access to food, housing, transportation and mental health services, the university said.
The grant comes from the education department’s Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program. IU Northwest plans to use the funding to establish RedHawks CARE, or Community Aligned Resources and Engagement.
RedHawks CARE will create two new campus positions to connect students to basic needs assistance and resources; collaborate with external agencies such as the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and United Way Northwest Indiana; and provide additional resources such as expanding the RedHawks Next on-campus food pantry, providing stipends to cover housing expenses, and offer vouchers to assist with transportation needs.
“When students’ essential needs are fulfilled, they are more likely to excel academically, persist in their studies and cultivate the skills required for successful careers, thereby creating a stable foundation for long-term success,” Chancellor Vicki Román-Lagunas said in a news release. “This funding not only contributes to lasting individual student achievements but also underscores the campus’s enduring commitment to the broader community.”
IU Northwest said it was eligible for the grant by being a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a designation it earned in 2020. Since that time, the university has secured nearly $9 million for various initiatives.
“Over the last five years, IU Northwest has successfully secured millions in federal grants, which have spurred innovative initiatives, such as the STEM Center, enhanced collaboration with Ivy Tech Community College, expanded undergraduate research opportunities and more,” Román-Lagunas said.
The university’s student body was 28% Hispanic in fall 2024.
Story Continues Below
