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Radford University in Virginia has received a $1.2 million grant from the state to support its Pell Grant-eligible and low-income students for four years. The funding will allow for the hiring of four new student support advocates, who will offer dedicated attention and guidance to these students as they pursue their degrees.
Dr. Susan P. Trageser, vice president for student affairs at Radford, said she and her team expect to hire these new advocate at the end of August, before the fall semester begins.
“Currently at Radford, we have a [student] population of 37% Pell-eligible students, and depending on the year, there’s usually 30% to 35% first-generation students as well. We’re located in Southwestern Virginia, a more rural area, and we recognize that our students and their families might not be as familiar with higher education,” said Trageser. “We’re committed to affordability and access, to do everything we can to make sure every student has the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education, earn a degree, and be successful in taking their first steps into a career path.”
The grant comes from the Pell Initiative for Virginia, created by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), which offers a total of $37,500,000 each year for two years to improve enrollment and retention rates for low-income and Pell-eligible students, said Lee Andes, interim director of finance policy and innovation and associate director for financial aid at SCHEV.
“Currently, all Virginia public four- and two-year institutions have received an award of varying sizes,” said Andes.
Radford received its hoped-for amount in the grant, said Trageser, as they carefully calculated what it would cost to hire and keep their student support advocates. Trageser said that, even though Radford is a mid-sized institution, it wants to provide the individualized support and counseling students usually experience at a smaller institution.
“We try to look at how we support our student populations, first generation, under-represented students, and Pell-eligible students, and the needs of the communities they’re from. In doing that, we have been moving more toward case management models of holistic approach,” said Trageser. “It’s an area where we’ve identified we can do more by having dedicated professionals that serve as a one-stop point-of-contact, serving basic needs, academic needs, engagement, sense of belonging, and making sure they get connected to the appropriate resources and opportunities across campus.”
Andes said that Radford’s grant submission prioritized “enhanced student services in mental health and mentoring,” which made Radford’s proposal stand out.
“Mental health has been one of the top student concerns for the past couple of years, and mentoring serves to foster a sense of belonging and provides students with an advocate,” said Andes.
Radford plans to increase its retention rates by 5% this cohort, and likewise increase its graduation rate, said Trageser. It will monitor each students’ academic success and engagement, continuing to look for gaps and working to close them. Trageser said the university also will create intentional programming in collaboration with professionals across its campus to increase student awareness of the resources available to them. Radford is an institution that encourages first-year students to participate in research, and Trageser said she wants students to know they can be hands-on throughout their attendance.
“We also recognize that not only Pell-eligible, low-income, or other student members of our Highlander community have needs and work on campus as well as hold multiple jobs off campus,” said Trageser. “We know if they’re employed on campus, we serve them better, they’ll be more successful, and we retain them at higher rates, which serves the students’ goals of earning a degree.”
That’s why Radford increased the minimum wage of campus jobs to at least $15 an hour, and they’re increasing the number of jobs on campus available to students. These positions will comply with career readiness competencies as guided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, so students are prepared to enter the workforce after graduation.
 “Each of our students is a unique individual. They come to us with unique experiences, challenges, and opportunities, and when a student is enrolled in an institution of higher education, we have a fundamental right to help ensure their success,” said Trageser. “Earning a degree is certainly not cheap, and Radford strives to maintain affordability and create access for all our students.”
Liann Herder can be reached at [email protected].