Marshalltown Community College is close to becoming a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Nearly one-fourth of MCC’s student body is classified as Hispanic, and exactly one-fourth is needed for the designation.  MCC would be the first college in Iowa to achieve that goal.

According to MCC Provost Robin Lilenthal, the designation would create new funding opportunities for the school but, in reality, the overall goal is to do whatever is necessary to make every student’s on-campus experience a meaningful venture.

MCC will find out if it will reach the federal designation next January.  It is currently classified as an “emerging” Hispanic-Serving Institution.