LTC receives $2.06M federal grant

The United States Department of Education awarded Lakeshore Technical College a $2.06 million competitive grant under the Title III Strengthening Institutions program.

This grant program provides funding to higher education institutions so they can expand and strengthen their capacity to serve low-income students. The funds are payable over five years.

“This grant will be used to provide new and innovative programming and services to our students, elevating our already-student-centered instruction and support services to an even higher level,” LTC President Paul Carlsen said in a statement. “The funds will also help us meet the demand local employers have for highly skilled employees.”

LTC plans to invest the grant funds in the development of competency-based learning formats, the deployment of additional student support services and the implementation of a holistic student support system.

Competency-based learning allows students to have a high degree of flexibility with their schedules and obtain college credit for skills already mastered, allowing them to earn their degrees faster. It also allows students to learn at their own pace by progressing after having proven specific job competencies and choose for themselves the best times to learn on campus. Competency-based learning formats will be developed for high-demand, high-wage programs including those in advanced manufacturing, which are among the highest in demand locally.

Additional student support services will help each student, including those who are low-income, of color, or with disabilities, reach their goal of a college degree and a career.

A holistic student support system will focus on student advisers taking new approaches to helping students overcome the challenges they face while working toward obtaining their education and career goals.