New England College Awarded $1.2 Million Federal Grant to Strengthen Student Success and Workforce Development
New England College (NEC) has been awarded $1.2 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program, with the opportunity to receive a total of $3 million in funding over the next four years.
This funding will augment student success at NEC by supporting retention and graduation, while advancing enrollment, AI literacy, workforce development, and alumni engagement.
Additionally, the grant will support expanded professional mentoring, tutoring, and faculty advising; a centralized resource center for student support services within the College’s Danforth Library; additional career services staffing and expanded internship opportunities; and the development of an AI literacy framework. These investments will help students thrive at NEC and prepare for success after graduation.
“We believe transformative education begins with understanding our students and giving them the support to move forward with confidence,” said Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr., President of NEC. “This investment advances our mission by strengthening the connections between academic support, the college experience, and preparation for meaningful careers. We are grateful to Senator Jeanne Shaheen for her advocacy on behalf of New England College and the students we serve.”
The grant builds upon a proposal developed by New England College to create a more cohesive, campus-wide approach to student success. The College’s proposal identified several interconnected strategies, including improving the first-year experience, expanding academic support, increasing coordination among student services, and using technology and early-alert systems to identify and address student needs.
The proposal also called for expanded tutoring and success coaching, graduation planning, and career and life planning, all organized around an individualized Student Success Plan that would follow students throughout their time at NEC.
Ultimately, the initiative is designed to help more students persist toward graduation and strengthen the College’s ability to support students from enrollment through completion.
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