The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Life Impact Program has received a nearly $140,000 grant from the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (GLHEGC) College Success Program.
“This very significant grant will help UWM continue to assist economically disadvantaged parents who want to start or complete their education through our very successful Life Impact Program,” says UWM Chancellor Michael R. Lovell. “I thank Great Lakes for supporting this program and helping more students break the cycle of poverty.”
UWM’s innovative Life Impact Program, established in 2005 through a donation from the Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation, assists disadvantaged parents who attend the university to earn undergraduate degrees. The student-parents receive a renewable scholarship as well as academic, professional and personal support.
Since the program started, the 133 UWM student-parents who’ve been involved have achieved an 84.2 percent retention and graduation rate. All of those who’ve completed the program have been either employed and/or are seeking advanced degrees within six to nine months of graduation. Currently, 40 student-parents are in the program.
The $139,865 College Success grant to UWM is part of $4.5 million in grants the GLHEGC awarded this August to programs across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin that provide specialized help to keep more students enrolled and on track academically, socially and financially.
The College Success grant funding can be used to provide tutoring, mentoring and intensive advising, as well as book vouchers, emergency grants and other incentives.
“The programs being funded by this round of College Success grants are providing services proven to help students make progress toward their degree,” says Richard D. George, Great Lakes’ president and chief executive officer. “Each program has been thoughtfully designed to address the challenges known to keep students from graduating, helping them develop connections to their campus, peers, faculty and staff, and overcome financial obstacles. We look forward to seeing the impact of each of these programs in helping their students persist towards graduation.”
For more information on UWM’s Life Impact program, go to http://uwm.edu/lifeimpact or call 414-229-6626.
