HOPE – The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT) has been awarded a $2.1 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This award is the largest federal grant the College has ever received. The grant, paid out over a five-year period, will aid the College’s continued efforts to improve student success, retention, and graduation of students from low-income families.

The plan UAHT submitted for consideration, titled “Strengthening UAHT by Improving Retention,” will serve to increase student success, including completion and transfer rates, through a variety of objectives. The grant monies will increase services for currently enrolled students, develop intervention and transfer advising, secure classroom technology updates, enhance early alert systems for student success, implement course redesigns, and add support staff to increase the on-time graduation of students from low-income families. “The College has focused on persistence, retention, completion, and graduation for the last several years, so this grant fits perfectly into the overall strategic goal of student success,” said John Hollis, UAHT Dean of Institutional Effectiveness.

This Title III grant will enable UAHT to create and develop an advising center team, including a project director, activities director, curriculum development coach, four advising coaches, and an administrative assistant. UAHT plans to hire these positions within the first year of the grant.

“While UAHT has seen record graduating classes over the past five consecutive years, we are committed to doing even more to support student success through completion. The best way for our students to receive all the potential benefits of a UAHT education is for them to graduate. This grant will allow us to innovate in areas of advising and student support in ways that will provide transformational assistance for students thereby keeping them on the most efficient path to receiving a degree or credential,” said Chris Thomason, Chancellor.

For more information about U of A Hope-Texarkana, call 870-777-5722.