Alverno College has received a Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education, according to the college's website.

The grant is from the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) for Alverno’s Proactive Advising for Career Success (PACS) in the amount of $1.78 million for five years. 

Students who are low income and first generation will be targeted for this new grant. 

“It’s extremely gratifying to receive this significant and competitive grant,” said Andrea Lee, president of Alverno. “Alverno has long been a leader in providing higher education access to first-generation, low-income students and to students of color in our region. We know that each student’s unique personal responsibilities, cultural and family traditions, financial circumstances, and academic trajectories are interdependent, rarely fitting neatly into standard pre-packaged pathways. This grant will result in immediate, lasting impact on student retention and graduation and will open additional robust career opportunities for students.”

Among the focuses of the program, PACS will help to bridge advising and career development with academic planning for students of color, help students plan their academic path and create individual graduation plans for their time at the school and assist with financial coaching. Additionally, PACS will help with health care advising for those interested in this career path. Finally, PACS will develop and launch three new degree programs for health care, including an occupational therapy assistant program.

Alverno has already put itself on the map as one of the most diverse four-year colleges. Roughly half of the students are people of color and 14% are African American or Black. 

“With our history of strong, individualized instruction and focus on access and success, Alverno is uniquely positioned to improve the upward mobility of low-income women in the Midwest and to provide diverse professionals equipped to thrive and lead Wisconsin’s most critical workforce sectors,” said Kate Lundeen, vice president of enrollment services.