Benedictine University gets $2.77M federal grant to expand student support

Benedictine University has landed a five-year federal grant to boost tutoring, first-year support, accessibility and classroom technology at its Lisle and Mesa campuses. The nearly $2.8 million award is meant to help about 2,000 undergraduates persist to graduation and better prepare for careers.

Why it matters: - Benedictine University will use federal money to widen academic support for about 2,000 undergraduates at its Lisle, Illinois, and Mesa, Arizona, campuses. - The five-year project is aimed at improving retention, graduation rates and career readiness, especially for first-generation students, students with financial need and students with disabilities. - The grant will also fund upgrades meant to make learning more accessible and more responsive when students start falling behind.

What happened: - Benedictine University received a $2.77 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program. - The U.S. Department of Labor administers the program on behalf of the Education Department. - The award will support a five-year initiative called Catalyzing Student Success at Benedictine University. - President Joseph J. Foy said the grant will deepen support systems, teaching and technology across the university.

The details: - The initiative will expand personalized academic support and strengthen instruction in foundational courses. - A redesigned First-Year Experience course will help incoming students build study habits, explore career readiness, connect with faculty and peer mentors, and learn university resources. - The course will also introduce students to internships, undergraduate research and graduate education. - Peer tutoring will expand on both campuses. - Library study spaces in Lisle will have extended access. - Additional academic support leadership in Mesa will strengthen student services there. - Faculty development and course redesign will focus on foundational classes. - Expanded accessibility tools and training will support more accessible course materials. - New student-success technology will help faculty, advisors and support staff identify academic problems earlier. - The technology will also help coordinate outreach, referrals and appointments. - Classroom and wireless upgrades will support more collaborative, technology-rich learning. - Mesa will get an enhanced computer laboratory.

Between the lines: - Benedictine is signaling that student success depends on more than tutoring alone. The university is pairing academic support with technology, faculty training and early-alert systems. - The emphasis on accessibility and foundational courses suggests the grant is meant to help students before small problems become enrollment or graduation barriers. - Acting Provost Timothy Marin framed the effort as part of the university’s mission to create belonging and help students reach graduation prepared for meaningful careers.

What's next: - Benedictine will roll out the five-year initiative across both campuses. - Students should see expanded tutoring, stronger first-year programming, more accessible course materials and upgraded learning spaces as the project advances. - The university expects the work to improve persistence toward graduation and help students connect coursework with long-term goals.

The bottom line: - Benedictine University is using a federal grant to tie together advising, teaching, technology and accessibility in one push to help more students finish college and move into careers.