College Completion

Vice President Joe Biden issued a call to action to boost college graduation rates across the country and help the nation meet President Obama's goal for the United States to have the best-educated workforce and the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Speaking at the first annual Building a Grad Nation Summit, Vice President Biden - who has made college affordability and accessibility a key priority in his role as chairman of the Middle Class Task Force - called on each Governor to host a state college completion summit, released a new college completion tool kit for states and Governors to draw ideas from, and announced a new grant competition focused on helping institutions of higher education boost completion rates.

White House Announcement

College Completion Tool Kit

State by State 2020 Completion Data

Today's announcement notes, in part:

The Administration is also making a number of financial resources available to help governors execute their plans to boost college completion rates. Today, the Department of Education is announcing that it is accepting applications for the 2011 Comprehensive Grant Program, which is part of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). The Comprehensive Grant Program will provide a total of $20 million to colleges to implement plans that can increase success and improve productivity in postsecondary schools. The program aims to award innovative reform practices that have the potential to serve as models for the nation.

A summary of the Comprehensive Grant Program follows:

The Administration has requested $64,036,000 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education for FY 2011, of which it intends to use an estimated $20,347,000 for awards under this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, the Department of Education is inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Estimated Range of Awards:
$500,000-$750,000 for a three year project period. $150,000-$200,000 for the first year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$733,000--for a three-year project period. $175,000 for the first year.

Estimated Number of Awards: 28.

The Department of Education lists three competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Increasing Postsecondary Success Competitive Preference Priority 2: Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making Competitive Preference Priority 3: Improving Productivity Invitational Priority 1: Curriculum Alignment Invitational Priority 2: Reducing Instructional Costs

Applications are due May 23. Click here for additional background and the application requirements.