Arkansas Tech University is one of several Arkansas universities receiving a portion of a national grant to help increase college completion.
Governor Mike Beebe announced yesterday that Arkansas has been named a recipient of a $1 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant.
The grant was established by Complete College America, a national nonprofit focused on working with states to boost college completion, and is financed by the Gates Foundation.
“Complete College America’s grant is well-timed to assist in our redoubled efforts to increase the number of college graduates in Arkansas,” Beebe said in a news release. “It recognizes that continued hard work will improve our workforce readiness and increase economic-development opportunities for our state.”
A total of 33 states competed for 10 grants, and as a winning state, Arkansas will have will have 18 months to implement “innovative, high-impact, college-completion initiatives to enhance student success and close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations.”
The governor’s office said that the Arkansas Department of Higher Education will lead the state’s involvement in the Completion Innovation Challenge.
Participating institutions in program include:
- Arkansas State University-Beebe
- Arkansas Northeastern College
- North Arkansas College
- Southern Arkansas University-Tech in East Camden
- Arkansas State University
- Arkansas Tech University
- University of Arkansas-Little Rock
- University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- University of Central Arkansas
