Husson University’s efforts to retain and graduate low-income students got a boost after the university was awarded $2.125 million in Title III federal funding. The money spread over the next five years will help the Bangor-based university purchase laptops, software, and pay for the hiring of new personnel dedicated to student retention.
"We’ve studied our own data," said Lynne Coy-Ogan, senior VP for academic affairs and provost at Husson. "So we’ve been able to analyze what strategies are working very effectively for Husson and what would be a realistic achievement for the five years of funding that the grant could support.”
Husson officials say their goal is to achieve an 81 percent retention for all students and work toward improved graduation rates for the school’s most vulnerable students.
The funds will also allow the purchase of software for better communication between advisors and supporting staff.
"What we’ll be looking for is to [hire] a director of retention, some academic advisors and a retention coordinator," Coy-Ogan added.
This is the first time the university has received Title III funding.
