Puentes Hacia El Éxito — Title V Grant

Puentes Hacia El Éxito, which translates to Bridges Toward Success, was a federally funded Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) grant awarded to Texas Tech Health El Paso. This five-year initiative was designed to strengthen academic pathways, increase student support, and enhance faculty development to address the needs of a diverse student body, especially in the high-demand field of nursing.

While the grant supported Hispanic and underserved students, its efforts were inclusive of all learners and contributed to institutional transformation that benefited the entire campus and community. Through strategic partnerships, innovative curriculum design, data-driven advising, and student-centered support, Puentes helped bridge the gap between educational aspiration and degree completion.

Grant Information

Puentes Hacia El Éxito grant information
Grant Name Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Grant
Award Number P031S200002
Performance Period October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2025
Funding Agency U.S. Department of Education – Title V DHSI Program

The Puentes Hacia El Éxito grant’s five-year performance period concluded September 30, 2025. The information below reflects the grant’s original goals and objectives, presented here for institutional and historical reference.

Goals

The Puentes grant was guided by four primary goals:

  1. Innovative academic pathways and student services to better support undergraduate and graduate nursing students.
  2. Leverage data-driven tools to predict academic risk, improve retention, and stabilize licensure pass rates.
  3. Develop and support faculty with pedagogical and cultural competency training aligned to student needs.
  4. Expand outreach and partnerships to create seamless academic pathways from high school through graduate education.

Original Objectives by 2025

The following were the grant’s original targets for 2025, not confirmed final outcomes:

  • Enroll 182 additional BSN students (with 50%+ Hispanic representation)
  • Increase BSN graduation rate to 86.7%
  • Stabilize NCLEX pass rates at ≥ 90%
  • Implement faculty development in teaching and cultural competency
  • Expand MSN and graduate nursing enrollment to 40 students

Key Activities

Academic Innovation

  • Flexible, accelerated nursing pathways (BSN, MSN, RN-BSN, and post-baccalaureate certificates)
  • Curriculum redesign aligned with workforce needs

Student Support & Retention

  • Intrusive advising and academic risk assessment using predictive analytics
  • “From Red to Black” financial wellness program and Financial Literacy Week
  • Case management through partnership with Project ARRIBA

Faculty Development

  • Continuing education and training in pedagogy and cultural competence
  • Faculty workshops, mentorship, and certification support (e.g., CNE)

Community Outreach

  • HSI Outreach Day, welcoming 200+ students from local school districts
  • MOUs with local schools and colleges to build early-entry nursing pathways
  • AHEC-led pipeline and recruitment events

Related Resources

Explore the platforms and programs developed or enhanced through the Puentes grant on the HSI Resources page, or connect with the people who led the initiative on the Meet the Grant Team page.