Bemidji State University Chosen to Pilot $580,000 SUCCESS Grant Program

Bemidji State University was recently selected as one of four institutions within the Minnesota State System of Colleges and Universities to pilot a $580,000 grant program to design comprehensive student support programs and improve completion rates, specifically in underrepresented student populations.

The grant program is titled Scaling Up College Completion Efforts for Student Success (SUCCESS). It is funded through a partnership between the Minnesota System of Colleges and Universities and MDRC, a non-profit research organization that leads the SUCCESS network.

Dispersed over a three-year period, the funding will build BSU’s current Beaver Success Coach program to support proactive advising, student awards, and the consolidation of existing campus, system, or state resources. Launched in Fall 2015, the Beaver Success Coach program provides one-on-one attention and guidance to students during their time at BSU.

The SUCCESS program model is currently being implemented in four states – Ohio, Indiana, California, and New Jersey – and beginning in Fall 2020, the pilot colleges and universities will receive support to implement the SUCCESS model on campus. The BSU Advising Success Center will participate in a program design and technical assistance session to launch, pilot, refine, and expand the new SUCCESS program.

In line with the approximate project timeline, beginning Fall 2021 Bemidji State will begin implementing small-scale SUCCESS programming to a cohort of at least 100 students, with new cohorts beginning each fall until 2023.