The grant comes from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential’s Student Success Grant program.
Delta College has received $269,379 from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) via its Student Success Grant program. The program intends to help financially to break down any barriers that stand in the way of a student and graduation to increase success rates at Michigan’s community colleges, tribal colleges, and universities.
According to an article on Delta College’s website, the school had identified three major issues that students reported as being barriers to their success, and the funding received from the Student Success Grant program will be utilized at least in part to directly combat these issues. Students reported that access to food, basic needs, and textbooks were the biggest issues that could keep them from completing their education.
The funding will be used throughout the period from the Fall 2024 semester through the Winter 2026 semester. As part of the school’s effort to increase the likelihood of their students’ success, the school will use half of the money as emergency grants that students can utilize if needed. School staff will also hand out food baskets and provide students with vouchers for on-campus meals.
Shelly Raube, who serves as the vice president of Student Empowerment and Success, was quoted as saying of the grant, “We are honored to receive this funding, which will allow us to further invest in our students and remove the barriers they face on their academic journey. This grant will help us ensure that more of our students have the tools and support they need to thrive and complete their degrees.”
The Student Success Grant program via the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential is the state’s first program directly focused on college student success. It is part of the state’s strategy to increase graduation rates across Michigan. The state of Michigan has a Sixty by 30 goal, which means that it wants to have 60% of adults obtain a college degree or certificate by the year 2030.
Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, the director of MiLEAP, said, “MiLEAP is proud to partner with our state’s institutions of higher education to support innovative programs that improve student success and postsecondary credential attainment, as we work together to meet Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal. Grant recipients demonstrated through a competitive process that they are committed to supporting their students on their path to prosperity, and we are eager to see the impact on campuses across the state for years to come.”
For more information about Delta College, visit the school’s website.