$6 Million Awarded To Expand Higher Education Programs Aimed at Student Success Beyond College Completion

Three-year grants awarded to four institutions will support expansion of programs designed to help learners succeed during and after completion of their degree or credential. These programs deploy a broad range of strategies from new technology solutions to embedded, industry-recognized credentials, which will be made available to thousands of new learners through these grants.

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Strada Education Network announced today the recipients of four $1.5 million grants, as part of its $10 million Beyond Completion Challenge. The grants are designed to help higher education institutions substantially expand promising efforts to improve long-term outcomes for many more students, especially those who historically have faced the greatest barriers in education and the workforce. The grantees are Arizona State University, Rio Salado College, the University of Texas, and the University of Utah.

These grantees represent the second phase of Strada's $10 million Beyond Completion Challenge. In the first phase, 15 institutions received a total of up to $250,000 each to identify and expand new solutions that will improve career and life opportunities for more students. The Phase 2 grantees received $1.5 million each to expand and evaluate their initiatives over a three-year grant cycle. Programs in Phase 2 will deliver tailored career and professional support to thousands of students across the four institutions selected and beyond. The four recipients of this grant and their associated programs are listed below.

Arizona State University will expand its Work+ program and pilot it at other schools across the country. The program provides mentorship and other career readiness programming to students employed by the university.

Rio Salado Community College will expand its Custom Academic Readiness and Essential Employment Reskilling (CAREER) program, which helps learners seeking basic literacy, GED test preparation, workforce preparation and career training to build the academic and employment skills needed to access, persist, and complete college-level coursework and seek fulfilling careers that provide family-sustaining wages.

The University of Texas system will expand the system-wide Texas Credentials for the Future initiative, which infuses career readiness into the curriculum through microcredentials and skills badges.

The University of Utah will scale the University of Utah West Valley College2Career program to support the underserved community of West Valley, Utah, by providing college and career navigation services, career pathways, and financial aid support for in-demand health care careers.

Read the full release here.

Strada Education Network is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people take advantage of education and training after high school that helps them secure a good job, do meaningful work, contribute to their communities, and lead a fulfilling life. Strada helps students succeed beyond completion of a certificate or degree through its research, charitable grants, and social impact investments, as well as through the work of Strada-supported nonprofit organizations, CAEL, Education at Work, InsideTrack, and Roadtrip Nation, which directly serve learners and workers. Learn more at stradaeducation.org.

SOURCE Strada Education Network