ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è will dedicate an additional $124K to bolster college affordability and $967K to embed high impact learning experiences across curriculum over the next five years. It’s all part of a $2.17 million grant ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è received from the this month, which helps higher education institutions strengthen fiscal stability and expand their capacity to serve low-income students.
“This grant will further strengthen ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è’s student aid programs, allowing staff and faculty to focus on further establishing a high-impact educational environment for all ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è students, where all students feel like they belong and play a key role in the university’s identity,â€� ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è president Fayneese Miller said. “We’re very thankful to the Department of Education for recognizing and investing in ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è’s commitment to supporting and promoting student success.â€�
ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è applied for the grant with the stated focus of further developing student pathways to belonging and success. With that goal in mind, funds will be distributed to five key areas:
- Student Belonging: Where $284K will fund embedded tutors and peer mentors, first year learning communities, enhanced advising services, and faculty dissemination of experience and findings
- College Affordability: Where $124K will fund financial aid optimization efforts to focus on affordability, new policies in response to FAFSA regulations, active engagement with student perspectives, new policies in response to , and faculty dissemination of experience and findings.
- High Impact Experiences: Where $967K will help embed high-impact pedagogy and experiences across curriculum, compensate faculty professional development and support, fund faculty dissemination of experience and finding, support course (re)development and materials, and fund outcomes tracking.
- Career Preparation: Where $406K will fund active collaboration with neighborhood partners and alumni, course-embedded micro-internships, and faculty dissemination of experience and findings.
- Financial Stability: Where $260K will contribute to ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è’s endowment, over five years.
- Additionally, $130K will be used to offset part of staff salaries.
Funding from the Strengthening Institutions program will be allocated to ÀÏ¾ÅÆ·²è through September 2028. For more information on the program, visit .