Department Of Education Awards $30 Million In Dozens Of College Improvement Grants

The U.S. Department of Education has recently awarded competitive, college improvement grants totaling more than $30 million to dozens of colleges and universities. The grants are aimed at increasing higher education opportunities and outcomes, particularly for students from underrepresented communities.

The 38 awards, ranging in amount from about $500,000 to $1.5 million, are organized under the Department’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), a program, established in by 1972 amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, that funds projects which "improve postsecondary educational opportunities" across a broad range of concerns.

Through several different recurring grant competitions, FIPSE supports efforts to develop innovative educational reforms, evaluate how well they work, and disseminate the findings across the education community.

"We cannot be complacent with a higher education system that leaves so many college students from diverse and underserved backgrounds without the supports and resources they need to succeed in school and, ultimately, graduate," said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, in the Department’s news release.

"The $30 million in grants announced today...will help colleges and universities advance innovative and evidence-based strategies to better support their students and help address students' basic needs, launch affordable open textbook programs, improve campus resources for veterans, and create opportunities for youth who've struggled with violence to get their lives back on track,” added Cardona.

The grants were awarded under five separate FIPSE programs.

The Postsecondary Student Success Program is a new FIPSE program established by Congress to improve college completion. The grants will help institutions invest in evidence-based reforms to improve retention, transfer, and completion by students who are close to graduation or who had to withdrew from college because of challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department awarded more than $4.5 million to five institutions:

1. Florida International University ($975,000)
2. Passaic County Community ($999,963)
3. Claflin University ($1,000,000)
4. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College ($952,262)
5. Austin Community College ($770,764).

The Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program provides grants to eligible colleges to address students' basic needs, including food, housing, transportation, and child care. The Department made 14 awards totaling more than $13 million.

1. Northwest-Shoals Community College ($950,000)
2. Broward College ($949,986)
3. Wichita State University ($950,000)
4. University of North Carolina at Pembroke ($935,922)
5. Dona Ana Community College (New Mexico State University) ($950,000)
6. SUNY College at Old Westbury ($878,057)
7. University of Puerto Rico at Ponce ($948,423)
8. Northeast State Community College ($943,755)
9. Palm Beach State College ($950,000)
10. Pensacola State College ($832,390)
11. University of Houston-Clear Lake ($949,914)
12. Cuyahoga Community College District ($939,352)
13. University of Houston-Downtown ($943,724)
14. Phoenix College ($929,617)

The Open Textbooks Pilot Program supports efforts to create new open textbooks that reside in the public domain or have been released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.

The Department awarded more than $2.5 million in new awards to two institutions: Loyola Marymount University ($1,533,300) and the University of Houston-Downtown ($1,160,037).

The Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program helps institutions support veteran students by coordinating services to address their academic, financial, physical, and social needs. The Department made 15 awards totaling more than $8.5 million under this program.

1. Chattahoochee Valley Community College ($600,000)
2. Iowa Lakes Community College ($587,298)
3. City Colleges of Chicago ($596,278)
4. Roosevelt University ($527,081)
5. Western Kentucky University ($601,069)
6. Minnesota State University, Moorhead ($453,424)
7. St. Joseph's College, New York ($559,867)
8. State University of New York College at Old Westbury ($538,307)
9. Cuyahoga Community College District ($597,745)
10. The Citadel ($600,462)
11. Wayland Baptist University ($592,217)
12. University of Saint Thomas ($590,107)
13. Saint Martin's University ($583,135)
14. Herzing University ($600,962)
15. Fresno City College ($599,986).

The Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program funds projects aimed at re-directing gang-involved youth toward postsecondary education opportunities.

The Department awarded a total of $1.5 million to Allan Hancock Joint Community College District ($989,767) and the Atlanta Technical College ($510,233) under this program.

__________

Although a relatively small program by federal standards, FIPSE has supported a large number of educational initiatives over the years that have been adopted or modified by colleges across the nation. Its flexibility and the priority it gives to trying out new, creative solutions have made it a very valuable program for higher education reforms and innovation.