LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) today announced that Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) has been awarded a nearly $650,000 College Success Grant to expand its academic support services and improve student outcomes.
“High-quality academic support is one of the strongest predictors of whether students stay on track and complete their programs,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “By building a coordinated system of learning resources and early-transition programs, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is helping students gain the skills and confidence needed to navigate their postsecondary education. Investing in these holistic systems is essential to empowering success for more Michigan learners – and it deepens MiLEAP’s efforts to support our Native students and tribal communities.”
The 650,000 grant will enable SCTC to transform its current Writing Center into a comprehensive Student Success Center, offering expanded academic assistance to students in the areas of writing, math, science, and English. It will fund the expansion of the college’s Learning Assistant (LA) program and the launch of a Summer Bridge initiative designed to help incoming students transition into college-level coursework. The grant will also invest in SCTC faculty participation in the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Gateway Course Redesign, beginning with English and math.
“This funding allows us to make a lasting investment in student success,” said Dr. Amanda Flaugher, who oversees the project at SCTC. “By creating a centralized Student Success Center and hiring full-time Learning Assistants, we can provide consistent, high-quality support that helps our students thrive.”
This award is the first Student Success Grant SCTC has applied for, reflecting a significant milestone for the institution and MiLEAP’s ongoing commitment to strengthening partnerships with tribal colleges and expanding opportunities for Native students. It is also part of the state’s broader $45 million Student Success Grant program. Through this initiative, institutions across Michigan are expanding tutoring and academic resources, improving transfer pathways, redesigning foundational courses, and strengthening evidence-based student success practices.
For more information about Student Success Grant opportunities and to view previous rounds of awards, visit MiLEAP’s Office of Higher of Education webpage.
To subscribe to email updates on these opportunities, visit bit.ly/60×30-grants-updates.
