New Federal Grants Aim to Boost College Student Success

You might care about this because the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor have announced a new grant opportunity. This program is called the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Postsecondary Student Success Grants. Its main goal is to help college students do better. This includes helping them stay in school, transfer to other institutions, earn more credits, and finish their degrees. The program wants to see colleges use data to improve their methods. It also wants them to use strategies that have already shown good results. These grants are for the 2026 fiscal year. There are specific priorities for projects. These priorities include projects that are just starting out and those that already have some evidence of success. They also support using artificial intelligence to help students. Other focus areas are creating career pathways, preparing students for the workforce, and developing good short-term programs. Projects that link college studies to future careers are also welcomed. The program also looks for projects that bring education responsibilities back to the states. Lastly, it encourages new ways of funding these kinds of initiatives based on evidence. You can apply for up to 4 million dollars for early-stage projects. For projects with moderate evidence of success, you can apply for up to 8 million dollars. The project period can last up to 48 months. The deadline to submit your proposal is June 29, 2026. This grant program stands out for several reasons. First, it is a joint effort from both the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. This means the program connects educational goals with job market needs. It shows a commitment to ensuring students are ready for careers after college. Second, the grants specifically require projects to use data. They also ask for strategies that are based on evidence of what works. This focus helps ensure that the money goes to programs that have a real impact on students. The program is not just guessing what might work. Third, the priorities cover a wide range of important topics. For example, it encourages the use of artificial intelligence to help students. It also supports quick, high-quality programs that can get people into jobs faster. It even has different funding levels based on how developed a project is. This means both new ideas and proven methods can get support. This approach allows for different types of innovation. It also helps scale up projects that have already shown good results. This flexibility can lead to more effective and lasting improvements for students. Many groups will find this legal document very interesting. First, colleges and universities across the country should pay close attention. Especially those that want to improve how well their students stay in school, earn credits, and graduate. This includes both two-year and four-year institutions. Second, organizations that work directly with students to help them succeed in college will be interested. This could be student support services or academic advising centers. Third, educational technology companies might find this relevant. This is particularly true for those that are developing artificial intelligence tools for learning or student support. Fourth, workforce development agencies and career services offices will want to review this. The program strongly supports projects that prepare students for jobs and build career pathways. Finally, researchers and evaluators in higher education will also find value here. The grants ask for rigorous evaluation of evidence-based strategies. This offers a chance to study what truly works in improving student outcomes. Anyone involved in postsecondary education or student support should look into this opportunity.