Each year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion awards a variety of high-impact mini grants to campus projects that support Latino students through targeted initiatives. Last year, the office distributed $35,000 across 17 projects. Mustang News wrote 11 features highlighting where and how those grants made an impact.

The HSI Mini-Grant program aims to serve and advance the university’s “collective efforts toward achieving HSI designation,” according to its website. Students, faculty and staff are all eligible to apply for the grant within a month’s timeframe, and projects should aim towards Cal Poly’s mission of becoming an HSI. Applications for the 2025-26 HSI Mini-Grants opened on Oct. 6 and will close on Oct. 31.

Cal Poly made a major step towards HSI status in fall 2024 after the university had announced it reached 25% of Latino-student enrollment for the first time. The university must hold 25% of Latino student enrollment until 2026 before applying for the HSI designation.

Recipients of the HSI Mini-Grant program are announced throughout November, and funds are distributed by December. Projects are executed through the following year, with an impact report of findings due by the end of July.

—Angel Corzo

Read about the impact of last year’s projects below.