Lee University Receives Million Dollar Grant
Lee University was awarded a million-dollar-plus grant from the federal Department of Education, it was announced early this semester by President Paul Conn and Director of Grants Vanessa Hammond.
The grant, a five-year award of $1.1 million, will fund a new program designed to help Lee students succeed and graduate. The project will be called LEAP, an acronym for the “Learn, Engage, and Achieve Project,” and will focus on students who are first-generation, low-income, and/or have a disability.
Hammond, who coordinates grant relations and wrote the proposal for the LEAP project, said the award is part of federal initiative called Student Support Services which is part of the TRIO Program. Grants are awarded every five years on a competitive basis, and a total of $270 million was awarded nationwide in the 2015 round of grants.
“This new program and the money to fund it underscores Lee’s mission to serve students from a wide range of backgrounds and the commitment to help them succeed.” She said the program will be directed as part of the academic program, led by Vice President Debbie Murray, and will involve other staff from across the entire campus.
Murray said the program will involve 140 students and will start officially on October 1, 2015 and continue five years. “We will be providing success coaching, peer mentoring, and enhanced academic support for these students,” she said. “The goal is to increase their academic achievement, of course, and that will naturally lead to higher retention and graduation rates.”
The program also will provide direct student aid, as well as financial aid counseling, financial literacy education and job placement assistance to reduce attrition due to financial need and reduce reliance on student loans.
Lee University will invest over $167,000 per year of institutional funds in LEAP, primarily in scholarships, providing 43 percent of the overall program budget.
Hammond said two-thirds of the grant funds will cover personnel costs to conduct the program.
Dr. Suzanne Holt has been selected to direct the LEAP program. She is a veteran of the Lee University leadership team, and holds the doctorate from the University of Tennessee/Knoxville.
(Source: Lee University)
