Education Department Awards $41M in Student Success Grants
Credit: Erin Scott / Bloomberg / Getty Images- Seven entities received grants to increase student graduation rates.
- The six-year graduation rate was just over 62% in 2023.
- Programs that provide one-on-one support to students have been proven to improve retention rates.
- The Biden administration also issued new rules for future grant awards and proposals.
The Department of Education (ED) awarded $41.3 million in grants to increase graduation rates among college students.
ED awarded the funds to seven entities — including six colleges and universities — through the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program. The institutions can use the funds in new or existing programs aimed at improving retention and completion rates among “underserved students.”
The six-year college graduation rate in 2023 was 62.2%.
ED announced that the following institutions and organizations will receive funds:
- California State University, Fresno Foundation — $8 million
- Center for Collaborative Education — $8 million
- Portland State University — $7.8 million
- University of Texas at San Antonio — $7.3 million
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY), Albany — $4 million
- Jarvis Christian University — $3.4 million
- New York Institute of Technology — $2.8 million
Many of these institutions will use the funds to provide additional coaching and guidance to college students.
A BestColleges report found that similar programs and efforts — particularly those that offer one-on-one support — have proved successful in increasing student graduation rates in many areas of the U.S.
ED didn’t just award new funds.
The department also finalized new guidelines for how future PSSG funds will be awarded. The regulations set new standards for proposals, establish new selection criteria, and require grantees to report the effectiveness of their programs.
It also defines “underserved students” to include those who are:
- Living in poverty
- Students of color
- From a federally recognized Indian tribe
- Learning English
- Disabled
- Experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity
- LGBTQ+
- Pregnant, parenting, or caregiving
- The first in their family to attend college
- Enrolling for the first time at the age of 20 or older
- Working full time while enrolled
- Eligible for a Pell Grant
- Improving basic skills or who have limited English proficiency
President Joe Biden has long sought to invest further in the PSSG program. His 2025 budget proposal called for doubling the funding for PSSG.