U.S. Department of Education announces $40 million in grants connected to federal higher ed equity program

The U.S. Department of Education is awarding more than $40 million in federal grants to improve college completion rates for “underserved students.” 

According to a Department of Education press release, the grants are set to be provided to universities and colleges under the Postsecondary Student Success Grant program. A total of $41,264,496 was given out.

The program aims to “improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion, by leveraging data and implementing, scaling, and rigorously evaluating evidence-based approaches.” 

In the finalized 41-page brief from the Department of Education, the grants are outlined to “advance equity or participant outcomes.” 

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Citing a statistic from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the Department of Education added in their announcement that the grants are aimed at reversing a trend were only 62% of students graduate within six years. The Department of Education highlighted that the statistic affects fewer than half of Black students. 

Seven different colleges and universities will be receiving funding from the federal government to promote the program. The final list of schools includes: Cal State University’s Fresno Foundation, the Center for Collaborative Education, New York Institute for Technology, the Research Foundation for the SUNY-Albany, Portland State University, Jarvis Christian University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio. 

The highest amount that any one of the schools will receive is $8 million dollars to the Center for Collaborative Education, and the least amount being $2.7 million dollars being sent to the New York Institute of Technology.

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Descriptions of what the funding will contribute towards include developments and delivering “an enhanced advising project, which will impact retention and completion” at the California State University Fresno Foundation. The funding handed out to the Jarvis Christian University outlines that it will “serve uder-resourced and underperforming currently enrolled students to ensure reenrollment, progression, completion, and employment.” 

Additionally, funding to The University of Texas at San Antonio is detailed to “utilize system-level financial incentives to support first generation students.” 

Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.