Clark State College received a $12,000 grant, the Fund for Higher Education award, from the Dayton Foundation. The funding was available from fall of 2022 through summer of 2023 and was utilized for students experiencing academic challenges.

“The funding assisted students on academic intervention and with urgent financial needs,” said Elecia Spain, assistant dean of access and retention services at Clark State. “The funding helped students obtain the resources necessary to continue their education at Clark State within the given semester.”

Clark State created the Academic Engagement Program in fall of last year to support students in academic distress. Students on academic intervention are paired with a case manager to help ensure the student’s personal and academic needs are met.

The academic standing policy was changed to allow students more time to implement new resources and strategies, as well as allowing students to appeal being paused to help the institution better understand the student’s experience beyond their grade point average.

Spain said the grant has helped provide students in financial distress pay for textbooks, laptops, and tuition due to not meeting federal standards for financial aid.  Clark State was able to help 30 students with the support of these funds.

“Prior to this grant, emergency funding was available to students in good academic standing,” said Spain. “Because of the success of students in the Academic Engagement Program who have utilized these funds, we are working to create guidelines for students on Academic Intervention to have access to future funding.”

The goal was to credit students with engagement for things they are already doing and not placing requirements to meet with specific individuals or resources.

Spain said one student used their grant money to purchase a small desk to have in their home to create a designated place to study. Another student returned to good academic standing and credited working with their case manager as helping them succeed by creating an action place tailored to their needs.

“Many students were directed to and took advantage of Clark State’s Fresh Start program, which removed failing grades from their grade point average if they had been away for more than three years, instantly placing many returning on intervention into good academic standing,” said Spain. “Clark State was also able to help a student withdraw from classes due to a cancer diagnosis without impacting negatively impacting their grade point average.”

The metrics used to measure success are positive increases in term-to-term grade point averages, number of engagements a student has with the College, return to good academic standing, returning after completing a semester on pause, and financial awards provided by the grant to overcome economic barriers impacting a student’s education.