About the Initiative

The University of Puerto Rico recognizes that it can play an important role in the education of Hispanic students who, though highly interested in reacquainting themselves with the Spanish language and with their Hispanic roots, are not quite prepared to embark on an academic program offered fully in Spanish. Thus, to a limited number of students we offer the opportunity to participate in our special Bilingual Initiative for Hispanic Students, through which they will be able to complete a first year of general education under faculty that is fluent in English and though teaching in Spanish will be willing to offer individual help in English to the Bilingual Initiative students. This program is conceived as a one-year transitional program that will prepare students to be mainstreamed with other UPR-Cayey students.

The advantages offered to students who participate in this program include:

• The waiver of all application fees.
• An exemption from the non-resident tuition fees, thus offering participants the same low rates paid by residents of Puerto Rico: $40 per credit-hour, plus an annual maintenance fee of $141 and medical insurance fees ($594 for the basic coverage; $1,302 for full coverage including prescription drugs) and a technology fee of $75 per year.
• Housing location services to ensure the availability of quality affordable housing for participants.
• A first year of general education courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, offered with individual help in English to the Bilingual Initiative students.*
• During the first semester, as a part of the Basic Spanish course, a special workshop will be offered in writing in Spanish (ESPA 0021). If the number of participants allows, students in this program will be grouped in a special section of Basic Spanish (ESPA 3101).
• If the number of participants allows, a specially designed intensive course in Spanish with a strong immersion experience in Puerto Rican culture.
• Participation-if qualified-in the Financial Aid Programs administered by the University.
• Academic support systems designed to enhance student success.
• Sections offered in English will depend on the number of students admitted to the Initiative. In any case, students will receive individualized academic support services, including help with the development of their language skills in Spanish.

Admission to the University of Puerto Rico is based on the following criteria:

• Graduation from an accredited high school, or GED, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) offered by The College Board. The minimal scores required vary according to the program to which the student intends to apply:
• A minimal SAT score of 1,080 for the Business and Humanities programs.
• A minimal SAT score of 1,180 for the Education and Social Science programs.
• A minimal SAT score of 1,280 for all Natural Science programs.
• Although not used as admissions criteria, students applying for the Bilingual Initiative for Hispanic Students are required to take the following SAT II Achievement Tests: English (Literature or Writing), Mathematics - Level IC or Level IIC, and Spanish (Reading).

How to Apply

Interested students are invited to complete an application on line at http://estudiantes.upr.edu . Simply go to Bilingual Initiative . There you will start the process of applying for admission. Is important to specify on application type "Bilingual Initiative Applicant ". Also, they must request that The College Board SAT Program submits the results of the tests specified above directly to the University of Puerto Rico . Applicants must also request that their high schools send official copies of their transcripts to the University. All documents must be mailed to:

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Admission's Office
205 Antonio R. Barceló Avenue
Cayey PR 00736

BILINGUAL INITIATIVE FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS
University of Puerto Rico
Office of Students
PO Box 364984
San Juan, PR 00936-4948

Chancellor's greeting

It is my distinct joy to greet you on behalf of the academic community of the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. We feel privileged that you would consider our institution as a possible setting for your university studies.

The University of Puerto Rico at Cayey --with the belt of emerald hills that surrounds it and its many gardens-- is located in what is perhaps the most beautiful campus in the Caribbean. In this magnificent natural setting, we study, do research, sing in the Choir, play in the Band and in the Orchestra, do theater, dance, study abroad during our Junior year or participate in summer research experiences in one of many prestigious universities in the United States. We run, play basketball and soccer, swim, or simply walk casually among our many gardens. In summary, our campus offers you an entire gamut of activities that will offer you the opportunity of experiencing, during your baccalaureate years, the many joys and challenges of university life. Here, you will certainly need to study hard -for we take pride in being a demanding center of higher education--, but you will be able to grow, also, in many other important areas.

In terms of curriculum, as you will be able to appreciate on the back of this brochure, we offer you a comprehensive academic program, with majors in the principal fields of the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, Education and Business, and an emphasis on the value of general education.

Again, we feel honored by your interest in our institution, and hope that we will be able to count you among our students in the very near future.

The University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Founded in 1967 in the grounds formerly occupied by a military base, the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey boasts close to two hundred acres of beautiful subtropical land nested in the green hills of Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central. This privileged natural setting is ideal for the development of the culture of study and thought to which the institution is committed.

It offers baccalaureates in the Arts, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Education and Business. It also offers an Associate Degree in Office Administration and Technology. These programs are entrusted to an academic community dedicated to excellence in teaching and characterized by its commitment to the student body. The University of Puerto Rico at Cayey is a center of intense cultural activity which fosters the meeting of the most distinguished intellectual and artistic minds, thus earning the distinction of being the most important institution of higher education in the mountainous central region of the Island.

The faculty at Cayey is one of the best prepared on the Island. Many boast doctoral degrees from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. In terms of cultural background, it is a pluralistic faculty made up of professors from countries such as India, France, Germany, Spain, the United States, Chile, Colombia, Cuba and, of course, Puerto Rico.

The institution is committed to research and artistic creation, thus helping our students qualify for graduate studies in the United States and other countries, often with full scholarships. Many students take advantage of the keen interest of the institution in the arts, participating in the many workshops on experimental theater and literary creation offered on campus, as well as in the art exhibitions often organized at Cayey. Its small, first-rate museum, directed by renowned artist Antonio Martorell, houses an important collection, and often hosts special exhibitions that enrich the academic preparation of our students, particularly those dedicated to the study of the arts.

The University of Puerto Rico at Cayey also sponsors the participation of students in international and exchange programs through which they can spend one semester or a year at a university in Spain, Latin America or the United States. Upon their return to our campus, these students, along with those from other countries who spend their year abroad at Cayey, enrich the educational experience of the academic community through its exposition to the cultural diversity they are able to provide.

The Honors Program and the Athletic Program are only two of the other opportunities the University offers its students, and reflect the institution's commitment to stimulate the full development of the intellectual and physical capacities of the student body.

The curricular program of the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey is the result of deliberations that take into account theoretical considerations as well as student interests and needs. Our various majors are designed to respond both to the general educational needs of our students as well as to their career goals and requirements. As is stated in our institutional mission, at Cayey "we work towards the attainment of a college whose various components are well integrated, and which is committed to the idea of education as a way of life. We acknowledge the fact that all of the members of the academic community are -in essence-students, and that we can all also be teachers".