Cleveland State awarded Title III Grant

From Cleveland State Community College: Cleveland State Community College was recently awarded a $2.05 million Title III grant from the US Department of Education. The five-year initiative, Work for All Students in Accelerated Programs (Work ASAP), will provide funding to increase noncredit to credit pathways and expand options in accelerated programs for students at the college, both in academics and workforce development.

“We are honored to receive the prestigious Title III grant for Work ASAP which will open new doors and opportunities for our entire service area,” said Dr. Andy White, Cleveland State President. “With these resources, we can continue to innovate and expand programs that enable students to succeed in their academic and professional journeys. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the collaborative effort of our dedicated faculty and staff.”

Title III was established under the Higher Education Act of 1965. It provides grants to higher education institutions that have a higher percentage of minority or low-income students. The grant provides funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.

Cleveland State was last awarded a Title III grant in 2011 which transformed student engagement and service learning activities at the college.

The goal of Work ASAP is to increase the number of graduates in accelerated academic and short-term workforce programs. The college will focus onthree strategies:

1. Expanding and improving access to accelerated academic and short-term workforce programs
2. Expanding program offerings to underserved populations throughout the college’s five-county service area and
3. Increasing prior learning assessment opportunities by creating non-credit to credit pathways

The college will begin the process by conducting a regional market analysis to refine and expand access to accelerated academic and short-term workforce programs that align with industry demands. The five-year grant will provide funding for personnel, equipment and infrastructure to help the college expand these programs to meet the workforce needs of the region.