Athletics Receives $450,000 NCAA Grant for Academic Support

DSU Department of Athletics recently received a $450,000 NCAA grant to support its academic programs that are designed to help its students-athletes.

The grant was part of more than $4 million that the NCAA recently awarded to nine Division I schools to help them improve the academic success of their student-athletes.  The goal is to support the school’s efforts to meet the requirements of the Division I Academic Performance Program, which was developed to ensure schools provide an environment that supports education while enhancing the ability of student-athletes to earn a degree.

The comprehensive grants will be distributed over a three-year period and used to fund increased academic support services staffing and space; technology upgrades (software and hardware); career planning; and increased availability of summer financial aid for student-athletes.

Louis “Skip” Perkins, interim associate vice president and athletics director, said he is “elated”   that the NCAA committee selected DSU as a recipient of the Accelerated Academic Success Program grant, and noted that it is consistent with DSU’s PRIDE 2020 Strategic Plan’s goals relating to student success, as well as increased retention and graduation rates.

“We will embrace the strengths of our campus – renowned faculty/staff, academic and career enhancement centers, and continue our campus wide collaboration to solidify the academic foundation that is the cornerstone of the DSU athletic program,” AD Perkins said.