BC Awarded Title III Grant

Bellevue College (BC) has been awarded a Title III, Strengthening Institution Program (SIP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. BC will receive $2,094,323 over the course of five years.  

In year one of the grant, approximately 66% of the planned student support improvement efforts will be funded by the Title III grant. An additional $222,000 has been allocated by Bellevue College and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. 

The Title III grant will be used to improve retention, completion and transfer rates of all students while also closing achievement gaps experienced by underserved populations. As a member of Achieving the Dream, a national network of community colleges seeking to improve student outcomes, BC developed an action plan that served as a foundation for the grant’s work plan. 

“It’s a highly competitive award, and will help BC implement its student success improvement plan developed with the guidance of the Achieving the Dream framework,” said Bonnie Berry, director of grant development and BC’s Achieving the Dream co-lead. “As open access higher education institutions, community and technical colleges offer the only way many people have to gain the knowledge and skills required to enter and advance in careers with living wages. At BC, we are serious about making sure all our students have the opportunity and the support they need to reach their academic and career goals. This is critical for economic mobility, and it also strengthens our local economy.”  

The grant period for the Title III award began Oct. 1, 2019.