COLUMBIA, SC - Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn announced nearly $2 million dollars in grants from the Postsecondary Student Success Program for Claflin University and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. This funding was made possible through the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).

“Providing support for historically underrepresented communities has always been one of my priorities. This funding will work to expand opportunities for students in those communities,” said Congressman Clyburn. “These investments from the Department of Education show their commitment to raising the bar for equity in higher education and their pursuit to making America’s greatness accessible and affordable for all. I will work to protect these resources in the 118th Congress from forthcoming Republican budget cuts.”

The Postsecondary Student Success Program is a new FIPSE grant program established by Congress in response to the Biden-Harris Administration's request for funding to address college completion issues. The Department recently received an additional $45 million in funding in the FY23 budget to expand the program to serve more students. The grants will help institutions invest in data-driven and evidence-based reforms to encourage postsecondary retention, transfer, and completion among students who are close to graduation, as well as those who temporarily withdrew from school because of challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department's first awards under this grant program total more than $4.5 million to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and community colleges.

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