DSU Receives $2.6M First in the World Grant

The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that Delaware State University has been selected among 17 colleges and universities to be awarded funding under the First in the World grant program.

As part of that program, DSU will receive $2,647,764 that will be used in support of its Access to Success initiative, which seeks to increase the applications, enrollment and retention in postsecondary education of at-risk and underrepresented students who are from low-income families and would be first-generation college students.

"A major part of the land-grant legacy of Delaware State University is to provide access to underrepresented students," said DSU President Harry L. Williams. "This grant demonstrates that DSU and the Obama Administration are on the same page when it comes to better preparing first-generation and at-risk students for higher education, as well as helping them to stay in school and graduate."

DSU was one of 17 recipients of the First in the World grants; and those grant awardees were selected out of more than 300 applicant institutions.

DSU’s Access to Success program partners the University with the American College Application Campaign, ACT (a nonprofit education organization), and the National Student Clearinghouse. The partnership will develop a college match and fit tool and implement a postsecondary enrollment model that high school guidance counselors can use to assist at-risk students in determining a list of institutions from which they are most likely to be enroll and graduated following high school.

Delaware's Congressional delegation -- U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and U.S. Rep. John Carney -- helped DSU get the grant through letters of support for the Access to Success initiative.

"As a parent and as someone who has had the honor to serve Delawareans at both the federal and state level, few issues have been more important to me-and continue to be more important to me-than raising student achievement," said Sen. Carper. "Outside factors, including the cost of higher education, can force students to give up on their dreams of a diploma. While I believe education is a shared responsibility among the student, parents, schools and government, this federal grant will go a long way toward keeping our students on track to graduate."

U.S. Rep. John C. Carney, Jr., agrees that improving access to higher education is one of the most critical challenges facing our country today. “DSU has long been a leading force in our state for providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged students,” Rep. Carney said. “Through the Obama Administration’s First in the World program, DSU will have the chance to build upon their efforts and to implement new, innovative ways to expand access to young people who need it most.”

The First in the World grant program is part of the Obama Administration’s ambitious agenda to drive innovation and keep a higher education within reach for all Americans.

“We all know that innovation can take many forms and as a key part of the Administration’s goal to promote college access and affordability, the First in the World program aims to support a wide range of innovation to improve student outcomes,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We are pleased to support these educational leaders who are driving exciting innovations to achieve those goals.”