Ferrum College was recently awarded $143,000 in grant funding by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to support the Carter Center for Academic Success (CCAS) in expanding and initiating programs intended to ensure equity in student outcomes, student academic success, and persistence.
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is a charitable foundation based in Jacksonville, Florida that strives to lift up members of society who have historically been prevented from accessing basic opportunities, and operates within communities with which Jessie Ball duPont had a personal connection. The duPont Fund is committed to eliminating structural and systemic barriers that stand in the way of their vision of “a world in which every member of those communities feels they belong.”
For educational institutions, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund focuses on increasing retention and/or graduation rates of first-generation, low-income, and underserved students at private and public universities. The $143,000 grant award will support Ferrum College’s academic support services to increase the academic performance, persistence, and graduation of first-generation students, low income students, and students with disabilities who demonstrate an academic need for support.
Ferrum College has a long history of serving students from underserved backgrounds, including those who have academic, financial, or personal challenges. The vast majority of Ferrum College students come from low income families and many are the first in their families to attend college. Sixty-three percent of students are Pell Grant-eligible and ninety-nine percent receive some form of financial aid. Approximately forty-three percent of Ferrum College students come from high schools in rural areas and the transition to academic coursework comes with additional hurdles in navigating unfamiliar academic processes, loss of social support networks, difficulty connecting with professors and classmates, and the realization of knowledge gaps in foundational areas like math and writing.
To remedy this, the staff of the CCAS has formulated ten initiatives for success which include Foundations, First Generation Student Program, Gateway First-Year Seminar, Financial Literacy/Scholarship Program, First@Ferrum Scholarship Program, Opportunity Fund, First-Year Academic Advising Program, Early Assessment Program, Weekly Academic Coaching/Counseling Program, Onboarding Program, and the Student Life/Carter Center Student In Need Committee.
Ferrum College President David Johns, who worked collaboratively with campus partners in preparing the grant request, was honored to learn Ferrum College received the grant award. “Our goal is to provide the support necessary for students to succeed, and we are grateful to the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for their commitment to help us do just that,” stated Johns.
Dean of Academic Success Dave Wiggins is excited about the opportunities this grant will afford to Ferrum College students and believes it would not have been possible without a collaborative effort college-wide to write and execute the grant application. “This grant will provide resources and personnel to help our most needy students. We will not just be focusing on academics and careers, but also helping our students to be more healthy and well-rounded people,” said Wiggins.
Wilson Paine, vice president of Institutional Advancement & External Relations, noted that receiving the Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant is a significant benefit to both Ferrum College and the College’s students. “This grant is instrumental in funding a variety of initiatives for first-generation and low-income students. Through hands-on support from members of the Carter Center for Academic Success staff, Ferrum College is committed to increasing both retention and graduation rates for students who have historically faced serious challenges in attaining higher education.”
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant will be funded for two years. Upon completion of the second year, progress and outcomes will be reviewed to potentially fund a third year.
