The National Hispanic University (NHU) is a private, not-for-profit institution established in 1981 to provide educational opportunities to Hispanics and other minorities in the form of undergraduate and certificate courses. It occupies an 11-hectare campus located at 14271 Story Road, San Jose, California. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
NHU’s academic offerings consist of programs in business administration, computer information systems, liberal studies, math and science, teacher and early childhood education. It also offers certificate programs in translation and interpretation in the Spanish-English combination. Its Student Success Program (SSP) provides assistance to students coming from low-income families who will be the first in their family to achieve a college education.
The student body is comprised of more than 600 students, a large number of whom are 40 years old or older. Adequate academic support and counseling is provided by the school’s Center for College success which provides career assistance and job placement services. The school however, does not offer on-campus housing and meal plans.
Tuition and fees amount to $ 5,840.00 regardless of residency while cost of books and supplies is estimated at $ 1,566.00. Part-time undergraduate students are charged a tuition rate of $ 196.00 per credit hour while their graduate counterparts are charged $ 254.00 per credit hour. Student/faculty ratio is 25:1.
The educational system used at NHU is based on a general framework established by its founder Dr. Roberto B. Cruz. While putting emphasis on multicultural education, it also uses information obtained from extensive research work done on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. NHU maintains active partnerships with San Jose State University and Evergreen Valley College, among others.