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Student Success Grant Awards
The Office of Sixty by 30 launched five categories of new competitive grants to grow student success at Michigan’s community and tribal colleges and universities, representing over $45 million in funding. The list below highlights the grants proposals receiving grant funding.
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Barrie Removal: Growing Institutional Capacity
The Barrier Removal Growing Institutional Capacity opportunity fund is designed for IHEs to develop supportive policies, practices, infrastructure, and community partnerships that will help eliminate barriers to educational completion for low-income students and students in poverty, and to more nimbly respond to support students when those problems arise. Expected impacts should include decreased time to credential, increased student persistence, improved completion rates for all learners—and particularly those with unmet financial needs—and the elimination of equity gaps.
Cycle 1
Bay Mills Community College
Amount: $149,314
Project Summary:
Bay Mills will use funding to provide hot lunches on campus four days per week which will be free for students. With 80% of Bay Mills students are now learning exclusively online, they are missing out on the opportunities to receive support and experience a feeling of belonging at the college. In addition to meeting a basic need (food insecurity) that is felt by over half of Bay Mills’ students, the college will use the free lunches to build relationships with students that can then lead to additional intervention and support. The food for the lunches will be purchased from the Waishkey Bay Farm, which teaches sustainable agriculture, collective land use, and conservation decision-making—not only supporting ecological practices and learning but also preserving cultural heritage for tribal members.
Northwestern Michigan College
Amount: $105,875
Project Summary:
Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) will use funding to provide stipends to place Master’s level Social Work and Counseling interns in the college’s Student Life Office, to provide crucial case management services needed to work directly with student applicants to the emergency grant program. Interns will work with applicants from start to finish to determine and prioritize needs, connect to financial aid, scholarships, and NMC resources, along with local and community-based resources and emergency assistance funds.
Cycle 2
Jackson College
Amount: $400,000
Project Summary:
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) continually strives to give our students a superior education by offering holistic aids alongside academics. Through this project, our institution seeks to increase our capacity to remove barriers to success for our students. We will enhance student food security by expanding the campus food pantry and extending the free meal program. KBOCC will increase student persistence and retention through improvements to our early academic alert and intervention system with technology upgrades, training and education, and development of guidelines. KBOCC will enhance technology access for our students through a Student Laptop Incentive program. These capacity enhancements will improve student performance, retention, and well-being, creating a supportive and nurturing environment for all students to thrive.
Mott Community College
Amount: $376,000
Project Summary:
The ClearPath 2.0 Initiative will complement the ClearPath Direct to Students funding and will ensure all Mott Community College (MCC) students have equitable access to needed resources to persist in their educational and employment goals. Through a college-wide culture and approach, students can receive equitable, consistent and supportive service experiences no matter the entry point. All MCC staff will be ambassadors for the students and help ensure the student is connected to both internal and external supports. Data entry, monitoring, and reporting will directly correlate to the student's progress and the provision of non-academic supports.
North Central Community College
Amount: $396,500
Project Summary:
North Central Michigan College (NCMC) is launching the Family Friendly Campus Initiative (FFCI) to expand its capacity to meet student parents' basic needs and support their academic success and program completion. A central focus will be on creating a campus culture for students with children. This project includes establishing policies and practices that promote a student parent's academic success and program completion, improving access to high-quality childcare on campus and in the community, and fostering a sense of belonging to support student parents' persistence and retention.
NCMC will achieve improved and immediate access to childcare through a campus child care center, funded through a CCAMPIS grant, and partnerships with local childcare providers. It will offer peer support groups, drop-in care, subsidized childcare, and coordinated educational and care support from an advisor dedicated to strategically responding to individual needs. The FFCI will aim to reduce isolation among student parents by creating supportive community spaces and activities. A family room on campus will provide student parents a place to meet, gather, study, and access resources. Weekly playgroups will allow student parents to engage in peer-to-peer parent education in an authentic setting.Ferris State University
Amount: $399,703
Project Summary:
This investment focuses on Ferris State University's efforts to address student food and housing insecurity through the Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance (BBNA). This initiative began in 2020 and has already made significant contributions, such as providing over 1,460 meal passes and $10,000 in rental assistance. The project will expand with the opening of an on-campus food pantry, the Bulldog Pantry, in Fall 2024. The key goals are to reduce student food and housing insecurity, decrease conduct incidents, and improve retention and graduation rates.
Key Deliverables:- Expanded Care Coordination: Hire a full-time Care Coordinator to manage BBNA and the Bulldog Pantry.
- Dedicated volunteer training and recognition.
- Food Pantry Programming: Collaborate with Feeding America of West Michigan (FAWM) and local vendors to provide fresh groceries. 3
- Housing & Transportation Expansion: Research and develop pilot programs to address housing insecurity. Launch a vehicle repair and transportation voucher program at the campus automotive service center.
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Barrier Removal: Direct to Student
The Barrier Removal: Direct to Students grant program is designed for IHEs to provide emergency grants and other direct aid to students to eliminate financial barriers to completion. Award amounts are formula-based, dependent on the number of Pell-eligible students served, but still require a competitive grant proposal that shows the college has a plan to target students to students with the greatest needs and a plan for tracking impact.
Cycle 1
Alpena Community College
Amount: $33,858
Project Summary:
The Emergency Financial Assistance Program at Alpena Community College will provide resources to students who are experiencing a financial hardship which is impacting their academic success. This program will provide a process where students can quickly apply and receive financial assistance for emergencies which they experience while enrolled at ACC.
Ferris State University
Amount: $226,798
Project Summary:
The Feris Finish Line Scholarship addresses financial barriers hindering student completion among those closes to degree attainment. Leveraging the robust framework of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, students will navigate a familiar application process mirroring standard procedures for accessing financial aid. Academic term completion rates will be monitored to gauge progress towards degree attainment, while percent completed by term will provide insights into retention and persistence rates.
Gogebic Community College
Amount: $28,512
Project Summary:
Gogebic Community College plans to use funds in collaboration with community partners, and fud an emergency aid program, on-campus food pantries, and create different workshops such as budgeting, technology, and time management. Gogebic Community College will create a comprehensive needs assessment, the data collected will help prioritize funding allocation to those who need it most.
Grand Rapids Community College
Amount: $254,326
Project Summary:
GRCC plans to incorporate the funds into its existing student emergency fund, which uses a well established process for distributing emergency funds to students most in need. Eligible students can request funds year-round through an intake form (see attachment) that is located on GRCC’s “Get Help” webpage. To be eligible for payments up to $500, a student must be actively enrolled and attending class on the date of application, have not received an emergency grant in the last 12 months, be in good financial standing with GRCC, and have not received the maximum amount of financial assistance through the Financial Aid Office.
Kellogg Community College
Amount: $66,567
Project Summary:
Funds will be used to continue and to expand two current emergency need funds for Kellogg Community College students. Majority of the funds will be used to expand the fall 2023 Reconnect wrap around grant and continue to provide direct payments for student needs. The remaining funds will support the KCC foundation’s Beyond Tuition Assistance Fund, which provides a one-time disbursement of immediately available money to eligible students who file a FAFSA, have at least 12 credit hours and have a satisfactory academic standing.
Oakland University
Amount: $297,583
Project Summary:
Oakland University proposes a multi-faceted approach to addressing barriers that prevent students from completing their degrees. OU plans to use funding to enhance several established processes. These include providing direct financial assistance through Student Emergency funding, stocking the food pantry, offering co-pay assistance for the Counseling and Health Centers, providing housing support for students in need, and offering tuition assistance to graduating seniors who lack the funds to complete their degrees. OU will develop a process to track student semester-to-semester and year-to-year retention.
Cycle 2
Bay Mills Community College
Amount: $25,641
Project Summary:
Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) will implement the Campus Cares food pantry, allowing students to choose healthy foods. Currently, faculty and staff stock a cupboard with snacks to help students make it through their day with something in their stomachs. The funds from this grant will allow BMCC to expand its offerings to include total meal items for students.
Delta College
Amount: $269,379
Project Summary:
Delta College is proposing to spend funds on direct student needs, with a particular focus on overcoming food insecurity and offering emergency stipends to cover other out-of-the-classroom issues. Over 56% of the grant dollars will be awarded as emergency grants. Staff will distribute food through food baskets and vouchers for meals on campus. The funding would be utilized from Fall 2024 through the winter 2026 semester.
Delta will utilize the College's internal "Coordinated Care Network" to gather student submitted needs information, then provide either internal or external resources to meet those needs. Delta will serve students on main campus, as well as all three off-site Centers. Delta is utilizing its CRM Advise database to create a process where accessing support is seamless and personalized to each student's unique needs.Glen Oaks Community College
Amount: $31,581
Project Summary:
Many community college students face barriers to degree completion, and oftentimes, these barriers do not stem from academic challenges, but from financial limitations or other external factors. In far too many cases, Glen Oaks Community College (GOCC) students report that textbook costs, unstable housing, childcare, or a lack of reliable transportation are barriers to college access and academic success. The Barrier Removal Grant Program increases the college's capacity to assist students with immediate, essential expenses due to a temporary hardship or financial need. By identifying campus and community resources, removing unexpected financial obstacles, and facilitating the delivery of funds when and where needed most, the college will keep students on the path to degree completion.
Henry Ford College
Amount: $517,260
Project Summary:
In 2022-23, HFC participated in an intensive collaboration with Group and Gardner Institute. This led to the formation of an Emergency Aid Research Team to evaluate current emergency aid (EA) processes and develop a plan for improving them. What resulted is a streamlined, easy to navigate EA application and awarding process. We are currently developing a marketing campaign to promote the availability of EA funds and our new application process. We are also preparing to analyze our first round of data to determine the impact of our revamped process. Our goal is to scale and sustain the EA grant program. This begins by increasing support for the program, obtaining additional funds for Fall 2024, and continuing to restructure the department that supports the grants, beginning with combining EA funding and our food pantry services into one office.
Mid Michigan College
Amount: $109,494
Project Summary:
Mid Michigan College aims to address the pressing issue of basic needs insecurity among our student population through our Supports for Success. This program seeks to provide essential support to students facing challenges in accessing things such as food, toiletries, transportation, and reliable internet access thereby ensuring their holistic well-being and academic success. By removing these barriers, we aim to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive. With the support of our faculty, staff and community we can work to support our students through the pillars of wellness for which our institution embraces. These include physical, social, emotional, financial, environmental and equity and access for all.
Mott Community College
Amount: $226,908
Project Summary:
The ClearPath Program will connect Mott Community College students with the resources they need to eliminate barriers and clear their path to success. Each student is unique and because of that, the challenges they face may look nothing like their peers, but can be the difference between staying engaged or stopping out. The ClearPath Program will be a part of the Lenore Croudy Family Life Center (LCFLC), which provides on campus access to basic needs support, such as food, clothing and transportation. By aligning the ClearPath Program with LCFLC's Student Emergency Fund, we ensure an organized process that takes the student from application to approval, to relief in a short period. The ClearPath Program's provision of these resources and services will ease significant financial burden for our students who are often one unexpected financial crisis away from leaving their educational path to find low-paying jobs to support themselves or their families.
Muskegon Community College
Amount: $77,792
Project Summary:
Muskegon Community College (MCC) intends to use funds to support three resources for students in which all dollars go directly to students: emergency gas cards, student pantry and the student emergency fund. MCC uses an early alert system through Care Reports submitted by MCC staff, faculty or students. These alerts are addressed by the Care Team, consisting of counselors and the Resource Hub manager. Students are made aware of the process through student portal, presentations, fliers, word of mouth, and referral by MCC staff and faculty. Students can also walk into the Jayhawk Hub to access resources.
Northwestern Community College
Amount: $71,858
Project Summary:
Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) will use funds to provide assistance to students who are struggling to provide for their basic needs and course related needs in order to remain enrolled in their courses and moving toward their educational goals. This project will focus on providing funds in three areas:
- first, to support NMC's recent project which launched fully in August of 2022 called the Emergency Assistance Program
- second, to support monies toward transportation costs through gas cards and BATA pass cards, along with food and other purchases related to basic needs
- third, to enhance NMC's ability to provide hotspots for students who live in rural areas without access to reliable wifi/internet.
Washtenaw Community College
Amount: $212,999
Project Summary:
In support of the college's mission to create accessible and excellent educational programs and services, this program will increase the ability of Washtenaw Community College's Student Resource Center (SRC) and Student Emergency Fund (SEF) to reach out and support people who have limited income or other barriers to success.
Grand Valley State University
Amount: $347,070
Project Summary:
With its strong commitment to educational equity and student success, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) will distribute Barrier Removal - Direct to Student funds to provide financial support to students experiencing significant difficulties meeting their basic needs. To promote efficiency and to facilitate the direction of funds to students most in need, this project will leverage already existing systems in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for addressing financial hardship and emergency circumstances among students. While Direct to Student grant funds will be managed from this central source, this project will also work to further develop GVSU's network of administrative touchpoints for identifying and attending to the basic needs of at risk and historically underserved students.
Michigan State University
Amount: $571,970
Project Summary:
Michigan State University will create a centralized application for retention funds merging existing opportunities with additional state funds to ensure all students are able to meet their essential needs, succeed, learn and graduate. The application will be short but will include questions to better understand a student's needs beyond what we can see in our institutional data. The application will first route to financial aid to verify how much additional support the student can receive based on their financial aid package. Then each unit (college, support unit, etc.) will do their own review and determine any funds they can provide to support the student.
Saginaw Valley State University
Amount: $164,808
Project Summary:
This project will provide emergency funds to students in need, allowing them to continue their education and persist to the next semester. A committee will review student's submitted application for need and potential disbursement of aid, in collaboration with the financial aid office.
University of Michigan-Flint
Amount: $177,012
Project Summary:
The University of Michigan-Flint's aim for the Direct to Students funds is to provide direct financial support to over 500 students through five targeted initiatives:
- Gift cards for food and gas to assist with food and transportation needs.
- Emergency grant funding.
- Stipends for non-emergency needs including, but not limited to, day care, utilities, and car repair.
- Winter break housing stipends for housing insecure students.
- Emergency housing funding.
Based on the results of the student basic needs assessment conducted through the Hope Impact Partnership, we will adjust and refine our service model to reflect the additional data, findings and analysis, as well as inform a review of existing policies and programs.
Cycle 4
Jackson College
Amount: $148,104
Project Summary:
To support students holistically, Jackson College (JC) established the Student Emergency Fund (The Fund) in 2011, to provide essential resources such as housing assistance, food, transportation, and a resource support system during emergencies. This fund aims to reduce financial barriers that hinder student success, retention, and completion, supporting students prepared to succeed but facing unexpected financial difficulties. Applicants receive guidance on financial and academic planning and additional support through JC Student Services, Learning Resource Center (Library), Harriet's Hub, and the Center for Student Success. Support systems like the Fund can help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed despite financial hardships.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Amount: $137,352
Project Summary:
Kalamazoo Valley Community College will provide direct financial assistance to support students that are identified as low-income or students that fall within the ALICE population, ensuring they have the financial support needed to complete their education. Our proposed program will create an equitable distribution of student success funds to assist some of our most vulnerable students in removing barriers to their education.
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
Amount: $15,000
Project Summary:
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College will use project funds for an emergency aid program for our students. This will assist students with basic needs and emergency aid, on a case by case basis.
North Central Michigan College
Amount: $73,458
Project Summary:
North Central Michigan College (NCMC) seeks to become a Family Friendly Campus using the grant funding to support NCMC in providing financial support to student parents for childcare. Research suggests that offering student parents childcare support both financial and improved access will improve academic success and program retention and completion.
Schoolcraft College
Amount: $174,889
Project Summary:
The Hinkle Student Resource Center (HSRC) at Schoolcraft College's 3Ts program will provide funding support to students by reducing barriers in the areas of Technology, Textbooks, and/or Transportation.
- Technology - Laptop award program will help students identified as needing technology with no funding to purchase a computer. We believe that gifting the laptops is not only more cost effective for the college, but also provides a sense of ownership and investment in the student.
- Textbooks - There is an ongoing need for student support in covering the cost of textbooks and access codes required for coursework. In the first 6 months of 2024, the HSRC team has received 71 requests from students related to paying for books and required access codes.
- Transportation - There is no public transportation available near our campus. Students will be provided with gas cards and/or gift cards to a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft (based upon greatest need/situation), to ensure student success in their coursework.
St. Clair County Community College
Amount: $92,268
Project Summary:
The Direct to Student aid funds will be disbursed based on an objective application process to maximize aid to students with priority need. The college has worked with local philanthropists to address student life needs to remedy barriers to student success in a program called "Complete Your Degree."
Lake Superior State University
Amount: $39,111
Project Summary:
Lake Superior State University (LSSU) recognizes the spectrum of financial barriers that students encounter and grant funds will provide additional support to identified students within the next academic year. To ease financial barriers, LSSU has identified two areas to direct Barrier Removal funds. LSSU will provide direct textbook vouchers to FTIC students identified to have the greatest financial need, and will provide funding support to students who are in need of disability testing to qualify for accessibility services.
University of Michigan - Dearborn
Amount: $260,172
Project Summary:
University of Michigan-Dearborn will use funds to support two projects. First, we will provide completion grants for students within thirty credits of graduation who are stalled by an outstanding financial balance. Second, these funds will allow the student food pantry to meet increasing demand.
Wayne State University
Amount: $696,450
Project Summary:
Barrier removal funding will support current students who are at risk of stopping out, particularly those who are within two-years of graduation and owe balances above the university's threshold for registration. Following the successful Warrior Way Back Model, grant funds will be used to allow students to reenroll, and after the successful completion of each semester, $500 will be applied to the students' account for up to four semesters. More than 500 students that meet these criteria have been identified, and the program will support at least 250 students. Emergency funding includes assistance with housing, food insecurity, medical expenses, or other unforeseen financial hardships.
Cycle 5
Eastern Michigan University
Amount: $338,880
Project Summary:
Eastern Michigan University's (EMU) project is entitled “Helping Students from Start to Finish: Eagle Funding Grants, Eagle Finish Line Grants, and Other Direct Student Support”. Data confirms that the cost of tuition, books, and daily living expenses are barriers to degree completion for many EMU students. This program will assist students with degree completion by providing direct aid to students. Specifically, the funding will be used to:
- Expand programs that provide assistance to students with a significant credit hours completed who are at risk of stopping out due to financial reasons.
- Expand direct aid available to students for non-tuition emergency expenses through the existing Student Emergency Fund.
- Provide greater access to food through EMU's Swoop's Food Pantry.
- Provide greater access to transportation by expanding the free bus pass program.
Michigan Tech University
Amount: $79,396
Project Summary:
The Barrier Removal Direct to Student funds will be used to augment the existing Husky Emergency Assistance Funds (HEAF) at Michigan Technological University. Existing HEAF money historically has been reserved for unplanned, emergency expenses. However, the need exists to extend financial assistance to students in other areas. The funds received through this grant will be used to support students who have a demonstrated need. A particular target areas for these funds will be costs associated with housing during academic breaks and summers, health care expenses, and course materials. Identifying students in need and connecting those students to available financial resources will be cross-campus collaborative effort involving offices and staff within student affairs, residence education, and academic affairs.
Monroe County Community College
Amount: $43,687
Project Summary:
The Barrier Removal - Direct to Students Grant will provide Monroe County Community College (MCCC) an additional source of support for our students facing financial challenges that might otherwise result in their stopping out of their academic pursuits. Through our currently established process, students will apply for financial emergency support and the Emergency Support Committee will review applications, offering required support when appropriate, in addition to making resources available on campus and in the community. From there, student persistence and completion will be tracked, and stories will be shared, when permitted, to encourage other students to seek assistance when needed.
Northern Michigan University
Amount: $138,000
Project Summary:
To enhance student success and remove barriers to degree completion, Northern Michigan University (NMU) is launching a summer housing voucher program for Pell-eligible and first-generation students beginning in Summer 2025. By providing housing vouchers to approximately 30 students enrolled in summer courses and registered for fall classes, NMU aims to strengthen academic continuity, increase retention rates, and create a more equitable learning environment.
Oakland Community College
Amount: $258,902
Project Summary:
This project provides funding for the Student Success Fund (SSF), the Student Basic Needs Fund (SBNF), and the Oakland Community College (OCC) Food Pantry. An existing initiative, the SSF will provide $65,000 in rapid-relief funding to students experiencing an unexpected non-tuition financial emergency. A new initiative, the SBNF will distribute $1,000 stipends to 185 students for non-educational life expenses, targeting those who have completed 24-45 credits and plan to enroll in at least 20 credits that academic year. Finally, this project will support OCC's Food Pantry, providing students with nonperishable food and personal care items.
West Shore Community College
Amount: $33,650
Project Summary:
West Shore Community College (WSCC) has developed a robust plan to provide emergency grants and direct aid to students in need. The plan includes using online systems and faculty/staff referrals to identify students facing financial challenges. Students can apply for emergency grants through a confidential online portal, where they provide essential information to assess their financial need. The Financial Aid Office reviews and approves applications swiftly to ensure timely support. To ensure comprehensive support, WSCC will engage various campus teams, faculty, and student senate in disseminating information about available support. The college will leverage its learning management system (Canvas) and text messaging for outreach, and will share information during professional development sessions.
Western Michigan University
Amount: $270,000
Project Summary:
Western Michigan University (WMU) is committed to addressing the unmet basic needs that create significant barriers to academic persistence and timely degree completion for our student population, particularly among Black and Latino students. These barriers have intensified in the post-pandemic landscape, requiring targeted and immediate support mechanisms. Through this grant, WMU will use funding to support the Bronco Success, Emergency, and Equity Fund (BSEEF) initiative, which provides emergency grants, financial aid supplements, and additional support to students with urgent financial needs. This initiative will be a critical resource in our commitment to reducing equity gaps, enhancing retention, and empowering students to achieve academic success.
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College Success Grants
The College Success Grant program is composed of three subcategories of grants designed to help colleges implement, improve, and/or scale promising reforms of policy and practice associated with decreased time to credential, increased student persistence, improved completion rates for all learners and the elimination of equity gaps.
“Amplify” grant funds are designed for institutions seeking $100,000-200,000 to strengthen an already successfully implemented intervention that would benefit from a rapid infusion of funds or to sustainably scale up an intervention or improvement approach that has proven successful.
“Accelerate” grant funds are designed for institutions seeking $200,000-650,000 to implement, improve, or expand promising practices and evidence-based reforms that build on or align to a broader institutional student success strategy
“Go Big” grant funds are designed for institutions seeking $600,000-1,000,000 to scale evidence-based improvements aligned to a coherent institutional student success strategy and theory of change.
Cycle 1
Diploma Equity Project (in support of Mott Community College and Oakland University)
Amount: $942,000 (“Go Big” Grant)
Project Summary:
Diploma Equity Project’s proposal supports redesigned student support systems at scale at Oakland University (OU) and Mott Community College (MCC) to increase degree completion rates. Each institution has been engaged in an intensive process built around student voice to design a student support system built on best practices in advising, coaching, and student support; early alert systems; and other high-touch supports. At MCC, the goal is to grow adult four-year associate and certificate complete rates from 23% to 45%, and at OU, the goal is to grow six-year bachelor’s degree completion for first-generation students from 47% to 65%. The funding will be used to support a construction manager who will be responsible for implementing the respective design at each college, to have that design operational in 18-24 months, and to be able to sustain the new model without external subsidy.
Michigan State University
Amount: $996,000 (“Go Big” Grant)
Project Summary:
Michigan State University (MSU) aims to increase the number of students who see community college as a successful and affordable path to a four-year degree, transfer to a four-year institution, and earn their bachelor’s degrees. MSU will increase transfer credit awarded by expanding Credit for Prior Learning, creating Academic Maps, and improving credit evaluation. MSU will collaborate with community colleges to expand their Envision Green program (a partnership with Lansing Community College), a redesign MSU into a transfer ready institution by reforming policies and practices and creating a transfer student success center. These actions will minimize credit loss and smoot the path to four-year degree completion for Michigan’s community college students.
Schoolcraft College
Amount: $200,000 (“Amplify” Grant)
Project Summary:
Schoolcraft College’s proposal will expand and enhance its Early Action program to support a proactive approach to meeting students needs. Schoolcraft will develop a student inventory survey to deploy early in each semester to help identify need for intervention—both to increase use of academic supports, and to help meet students’ basic needs. This will be complemented by a communications effort to destigmatize and encourage the seeking of early support, and strengthen the case management approach to responding to student needs.
Cycle 2
Gogebic Community College
Amount: $93,130
Project Summary:
Grant funds will cover the cost of updating technology and taking a deep dive into advising through robust professional development to better support the Network and students. This includes the addition of a retention management system leveraging our existing Student Information System. The GCC Network system of intervention is broken into 2-4-6-8-10 week intervals for a 16 week semester. By updating our technology advisors will be able to spend more time with actual interventions. We are committed to leveraging this new resource of time by expanding and enhancing our interventions. For example, the time may be used for a week four campus campaign around week four interventions. These could include, and are not limited to, hosting study tables, providing meals and making phone calls. By providing multiple layers of professional development, we will ensure the interventions result in student success, retention and persistence.
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
Amount: $997,872
Project Summary:
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) aims to empower Tribal and surrounding communities through education and cultural preservation, focusing on preparing students for careers in STEM fields like nursing, health sciences, and environmental science. As a rural Tribal Community College, many of our students are from underserved populations underrepresented in STEM. Our campus faces space limitations and outdated infrastructure, hindering our ability to meet growing student needs in science and technology. This proposal seeks funding to renovate and expand our science labs and technology facilities, enhancing institutional capacity and enriching students' educational experience. These upgrades will optimize high impact practices and learning environments, boost success in STEM courses, and equip our students to excel academically and succeed in their future careers.
Michigan State University
Amount: $199,134
Project Summary:
Our President has described a vision for one MSU with greater alignment of courses and degrees with Michigan's future needs. Reform efforts in undergraduate student learning, including academic program review, creation of a co-curricular record, and publishing curricular guides in housing encourage us to re-craft MSU's university learning goals within our newly adopted framework for holistic student success. With a few resources and widespread engagement with stakeholders, we can help MSU meet the needs of students over the next decade by scaling quality high impact practices and amplifying teaching, learning and curricula reform. Aligning and connecting curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular programs will create a more cohesive and equitable student experience, accelerating MSU toward its strategic goal of becoming both a more accessible and equitable institution.
Michigan Tech University
Amount: $650,000
Project Summary:
First-year students often struggle with adjustments to college life. Indeed, mental health and academic performance account for most student withdrawals from Michigan Tech. While not all of these withdrawals can be prevented, many students tell us that they were unaware of or unwilling to access the wide array of campus support services that might have allowed them to persist.
The new first-year Michigan Tech Seminar will help students map their college path, form essential habits and mindsets for academic success, and build a sense of community and belonging at Michigan Tech, thereby increasing retention and graduation rates, especially among at-risk student populations. We will scale up and sustain our capacity for targeted professional development and for broader dissemination of the Seminar modules and instruction workshops through professionally-designed open education videos.Mid Michigan College
Amount: $305,750
Project Summary:
According to MISchoolData, only 53% of Michigan high school graduates enrolled in postsecondary education within six months of graduating. This figure is significantly lower in many districts served by Mid Michigan College. To address this, Mid is incorporating elements of the Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) model developed by researchers at Columbia University to build a holistic program focusing on outreach to underserved students, alignment to specific careers of interest, early career and academic exploration, advising, and planning, and high-quality academic instruction and academic support.
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Quick Start Grants
The “Quick Start Grant” opportunity provides institutions, consortia of institutions, or nonprofits working in partnership with a college or university with $50,000-75,000 per award to undertake an action-oriented self-assessment process to strengthen grounding in student experience and/or to develop a coherent and strategic approach for removing institutional barriers to student success. While it is not a required outcome, the Quick Start funding opportunity was created to help colleges that are not currently ready to apply for a larger Student Success grant to plan for the development of a larger proposal.
Cycle 1
Central Michigan University
Amount: $74,800
Project Summary:
The grant will help Central Michigan University evaluate existing procedures related to transfer options, prior learning credits, non-credit learning opportunities, stackable credentials, competency-based programs, and student services. Receiving direct feedback from students to help gauge the effectiveness of current practices will help the school develop a plan to enhance the overall experience for adult learners, expediting time to completion, and increasing degree completion rates. Further, CMU will assess the needs of high-demand professions and identify skill gaps in Michigan and use data to develop customized academic and training solutions.
Delta College
Amount: $53,500
Project Summary:
Delta College has developed a cross-functional gathering of executive leaders and directors from different departments to identify technology issues and what needs to be done to solve them. The grant will help them gather end user feedback to be able to streamline the data they collect and share, providing better information more efficiently to students seeking extra support. Gathering feedback will also impact guided pathways, student referrals to support services, and registrations efforts. By learning to use technology in the most efficient manner, they look to assist their students with retention and completion, the college’s key goals.
Eastern Michigan University
Amount: $70,483
Project Summary:
Eastern Michigan University will be using grant funding to develop an action plan to address the institution’s barriers to student persistence. EMU has three key initiatives. First, they will convene a Student Persistence Planning Summit to identify existing persistence initiatives that all stakeholders may not be aware, analyze data and recommendations for improving student persistence, and developing an action plan to improve student persistence, including removing institutional barriers. Second, EMU will convene focus groups to center the student experience in their action plan. Third, they will complete a financial aid optimization analysis focusing on retention and returning scholarships as previous data confirms that finances are a significant barrier to student persistence.
Ferris State University
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
The funds from this grant will help Ferris State complete a comprehensive program study and outcomes-based assessment of undergraduate academic advising. In partnership with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), university administrators, college partners, faculty, professional advisors, and students will participate in an in-depth on-site study of academic advising. After which, NACADA will administer two assessments linked to the Nine Conditions of Excellence in Academic Advising. Academic Advising will move from a decentralized, program-based model to a unified and centrally coordinated model where students benefit from the support of primary-role, professional advisors and classroom faculty mentors. A thorough analysis will also help identify gaps, so the college will know where to direct resources for professional development.
Grand Rapids Community College
Amount: $69,850
Project Summary:
GRCC will focus planning efforts on two projects. First, they will look to expand capacity to sustain a student basic need model by expanding internal capacity to continue providing access to these needed resources. Second, GRCC will develop Transfer 2.0, a program that will focus on going beyond current practices to offer students more robust, value-added suppors like improved transfer pre services, guaranteed admissions, and opportunities for pre-transfer access to faculty and services at transfer institutions. Through these initiatives, they look to improve retention and completion rates.
Grand Valley State University
Amount: $74,999
Project Summary:
Grand Valley State will use funds to complete planning that advances the organizational structures and institutional capacity necessary for larger future projects. Through the use of the IU Equity Accelerator to conduct focus groups on faculty mindset and student experience, the university looks to build a foundational understanding of social and psychological approaches to student success. Through tools offered by the University Innovation Lab, Grand Valley State looks to develop a map for comprehensive student success at the institution and manage change within the university.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
Kalamazoo Valley Community College will undergo a comprehensive institutional reform by transforming the course scheduling process to be student-focused and algorithm-based. The initiative looks to enhance holistic student support and improve student outcomes by prioritizing student needs. Strategic scheduling will extend to workforce training programs and aligning schedules with industry demands, which will help ensure program relevance and student success. Data gathered during this project will put the college on track to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for future needs.
Lake Superior State University
Amount: $65,000
Project Summary:
Funds from this grant will help Lake Superior State University assess current processes to further develop a coherent and strategic approach for removing institutional barriers and enhancing support to promote student success. Student needs continue to expand and retention efforts pose an ongoing challenge. A comprehensive assessment of LSSU’s institutional capacity will help us develop plans for first-year, transfer, and non-traditional students, and they also look to assess Native American student support. Planning for academic advising, retention efforts, faculty and staff development, and recruitment will also be undertaken.
Muskegon Community College
Amount: $69,300
Project Summary:
Muskegon Community College will engage in an action-oriented self-assessment that will lead to an equity-grounded, comprehensive plan to recruit, enroll, support, and retain adult learners aged 25 and older. The projects will include gathering and analyzing disaggregated data on early momentum metrics, persistence, and completion rates. Data will be wide ranging, and the college will also have adult student focus groups to yield firsthand qualitative student experience data to help uncover the barriers for these adult learners and the college supports that will be most helpful.
University of Michigan-Flint
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
The University of Michigan-Flint will launch a comprehensive assessment in Summer 2024 to identify barriers faced by all students, including historically marginalized groups. This project will culminate in a written report shared with the campus community. It includes partnering with the Hope Center to conduct research, implementing a self-assessment tool through the Hope Impact Partnership (HIP) and disseminating findings. Funds will be used for faculty/staff stipends, partnership fees and report materials. The findings will be applied to improve current programs by Fall 2024, with a focus on empowering students to influence new initiatives. The project aims to amplify student voices and ensure a collaborative, purposeful approach with outcomes relevant to other institutions.
Cycle 2
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
Kalamazoo Valley Community College will undergo a comprehensive institutional reform by transforming the course scheduling process to be student-focused and algorithm-based. The initiative looks to enhance holistic student support and improve student outcomes by prioritizing student needs. Strategic scheduling will extend to workforce training programs and aligning schedules with industry demands, which will help ensure program relevance and student success. Data gathered during this project will put the college on track to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for future needs.
Lake Superior State University
Amount: $65,000
Project Summary:
Funds from this grant will help Lake Superior State University assess current processes to further develop a coherent and strategic approach for removing institutional barriers and enhancing support to promote student success. Student needs continue to expand and retention efforts pose an ongoing challenge. A comprehensive assessment of LSSU’s institutional capacity will help us develop plans for first-year, transfer, and non-traditional students, and they also look to assess Native American student support. Planning for academic advising, retention efforts, faculty and staff development, and recruitment will also be undertaken.
Muskegon Community College
Amount: $69,300
Project Summary:
Muskegon Community College will engage in an action-oriented self-assessment that will lead to an equity-grounded, comprehensive plan to recruit, enroll, support, and retain adult learners aged 25 and older. The projects will include gathering and analyzing disaggregated data on early momentum metrics, persistence, and completion rates. Data will be wide ranging, and the college will also have adult student focus groups to yield firsthand qualitative student experience data to help uncover the barriers for these adult learners and the college supports that will be most helpful.
University of Michigan-Flint
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
The University of Michigan-Flint will launch a comprehensive assessment in Summer 2024 to identify barriers faced by all students, including historically marginalized groups. This project will culminate in a written report shared with the campus community. It includes partnering with the Hope Center to conduct research, implementing a self-assessment tool through the Hope Impact Partnership (HIP) and disseminating findings. Funds will be used for faculty/staff stipends, partnership fees and report materials. The findings will be applied to improve current programs by Fall 2024, with a focus on empowering students to influence new initiatives. The project aims to amplify student voices and ensure a collaborative, purposeful approach with outcomes relevant to other institutions.
Cycle 3
Alpena Community College
Amount: $75,000
Project Summary:
Alpena Community College (ACC) aims to use Quick Start funds to address institutional barriers to student success in Northeast Lower Michigan, a region marked by economic distress and high financial need. The objective of the Quick Start Project is to modernize ACC's policies and practices and integrate holistic support for students' academic journeys through enhanced discussion and feedback opportunities for ACC students. This will ensure that ACC's policies and practices evolve to best support students overcoming barriers determined to undermine their academic success.