$25 Million Grant Awarded for Student Programming

Beyond the many other topics we’ve already discussed, there’s this: Higher education costs continue to rise. So, colleges and universities needs to focus more on helping students gain access to opportunities. And greater student programming is one way to do this.

That’s why I love hearing stories of colleges that actually focus on these kinds of initiatives. See, student programming is crucial to raising the quality of life for students and staff. Now Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina has received a $25 million grant to expand such a program.

(Quick tip: GrantWatch has entire Education-grant category.)

Student Programming Grants From The Duke Endowment

Furman University currently has an existing program called The Furman Advantage. This program launched in the fall of 2016, with a $25 million grant. Then, another $2.5 million grant from The Duke Endowment was awarded in 2017 to study this program’s effectiveness. The program itself provides a four-year pathway to graduation that offers several unique advantages:

• Academic advising.
• Mentoring and career guidance.
• Engaged learning experiences such as undergraduate research, internships or study away .

And now, this $25 million grant will enable the program’s expansion. Here’s what Minor Shaw, Duke Endowment’s board chair had to say about this grant award:

“The Duke Endowment’s founder, James B. Duke, had a vision for the future that he expressed through philanthropy, The goals of The Furman Advantage echo Mr. Duke’s forward-thinking, innovative approach. We are proud to play a role in Furman’s efforts to build something truly special in higher education.” — Minor Shaw.

What will this expansion mean?

For this grant, the actual funding will go towards several areas:

• More engaging student experiences.
• Expand and enhance the current mentoring network and experience.
• Expand career opportunities that are offered through the Malone Center for Career Engagement.
  • This will go towards creating both professional development and career opportunities in student’s specific fields of study.
• Decrease barriers for engagement and increase access for all students.
• Provide more funds for:
  • Internships, undergraduate research, study away.
• And, Fund more students trips to be able to visit alumni mentors working in their specific industries.

While all of this sounds incredibly exciting for students, in real-life terms, it means students will gain more experience, be more engaged and benefit from mentorship.

GrantWatch Knows Student Engagement Is Important

At GrantWatch, we really understand how important it is that students are engaged and interested in their fields of study. After all, the more experiences and accessible programs there are, the easier it is for students to thrive. So that’s why we do have several key grant categories that can be of help. These are not just fo universities but also programming for elementary education and high-schools, too.

We have:

• An Elementary Education grant category.
• And, an Education category.
• Plus, a category for Higher Education.
• There’s Arts & Culture.
• And, Community and Economic Development grant category.

And these are just a few of the dozens of grant categories over at GrantWatch.com! So, if you have any questions about these grant categories, just reach out to our customer support team! You can reach us by calling 561-249-4129.