Highland Community College has been selected for a Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant to support One Highland: Powering Rural Futures, a five-year initiative designed to strengthen student success, institutional effectiveness, teaching and learning, and support for rural students.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Highland approximately $1.6 million for the initial award period, with additional funding of approximately $1.4 million anticipated through annual continuation awards over the five-year project period.

“This is a transformational investment in Highland Community College and, more importantly, in the students and rural communities we serve,” said Highland Community College President Dr. Vincent Bowhay. “This grant gives us the opportunity to make investments that will strengthen the College well beyond the five-year grant period. It represents an extraordinary vote of confidence in Highland’s future and in our mission to expand opportunity throughout Northeast Kansas.”

The grant will support One Highland: Powering Rural Futures, an institution-wide initiative aligned with the College’s One Highland: One Mission, Endless Impact strategic plan.

Major components of the initiative include the development of a Rural Student Success Center to address barriers facing rural students; expanded academic advising and student-success technology; enhanced institutional research and data analytics; professional development for faculty focused on teaching, learning and artificial intelligence; and strengthened institutional effectiveness and assessment.