U.S. Dept of Ed Announces Educational Opportunities

Education is a beautiful thing. Learning is the seed of peace.

U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan Announces $10.9 Million in Awards Under New Programs That Help Students with Intellectual Disabilities Transition to Postsecondary Education
OCTOBER 5, 2010

Contact: Jane Glickman, (202) 401-1307, press@ed.gov


U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $10.9 million for 28 grants under two new federal programs that create opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to attend and be successful in higher education.

"President Obama has set a goal for America to have the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2020," Duncan said. "These new programs make an important contribution toward that goal by giving students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to receive a quality postsecondary education with the supports they need to attend, complete and succeed in higher education."

Of the $10.9 million, $10.564 million is being awarded to 27 two- and four-year institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions under the model comprehensive Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID).

The Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts-Boston will receive a separate grant of $330,000 to fund a coordinating center to support these TPSID grantees as well as other programs around the country that are working to transition students with cognitive disabilities into higher education. The center will develop evaluation systems, standards and best practices around program components in academic, social, employment and independent living areas.

The 27 TPSID grantees, located in 23 states, will create or expand programs that focus on academics and instruction, social activities, employment experiences through work-based learning and internships, and independent living. Grantees will provide individualized supports for students and opportunities to be involved in college experiences with their peers without disabilities. Evaluating what works and does not work is a key component of each grant.

For example, Bergen Community College in New Jersey will use its $394,918 grant to serve 100 students with intellectual disabilities. Bergen Community College will work with Camden County College to provide job coaches who will shadow students at work sites, helping to reinforce job skills and assist with placement into employment. They will also provide peer mentors to support students in academic classes and ease integration of students into social events involving peers without disabilities.

All grants are expected to be funded for five years. Today's announcement is for 2010-2011 award amounts only.

Attached is a list of the 27 TPSID grantees, alphabetical by state, followed by the TPSID Coordinating Center grantee information.

TPSID grantees

AK Anchorage University of Alaska-Anchorage Karen Ward 907-264-6229 afkmw@uaa.alaska.edu $420,870
AZ Tucson University of Arizona Stephanie Z. C. MacFarland 520-621-5165 szm@email.arizona.edu $500,000
CA Fresno California State University-Fresno Charles Arokiasamy 559.278.0325 charlesa@csufresno.edu $500,000
CA Oakland University of California Carlos O. Cortez 310-794-1235 pathway@uclaextension.edu $122,397
CA Taft West Kern Community College District Jeffrey G. Ross 661-763-7776 jross@taft.org $497,243
CO Fort Collins Colorado State University Catherine L Schelly 970-491-0225 catherine.schelly@colostate.edu $307,391
DE Newark University of Delaware Laura T. Eisenman 302-831-0532 eisenman@udel.edu $426,650
FL St. Petersburg University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Jordan T. Knab 727-873-4662 jknab@mail.usf.edu $421,269
HI Honolulu University of Hawaii Robert A. Stodden 808- 956-9199 stodden@hawaii.edu $425,000
IN Bloomington Indiana University David M. Mank 812-855-6508 dmank@indiana.edu $493,120
IA Iowa City University of Iowa Jo Hendrickson 319-384-2097 jo-hendrickson@uiowa.edu $499,770
KY Lexington University of Kentucky Beth Harrison 859-257-3586 x225 b.harrison@uky.edu $424,923
LA Baton Rouge Louisiana State University K. Alisa Lowrey 504-556-7567 klowre@lsuhsc.edu $290,384
MN Brainerd Central Lakes College Suresh Tiwari 218-855-8058 stiwari@clcmn.edu $365,636
NY Rochester University of Rochester Martha Mock 585-276-3363 mmock@Warner.Rochester.edu $500,000
NJ Paramus Bergen Community College Tracy Rand 201-612-5589 trand@bergen.edu $394,918
NJ Trenton College of New Jersey Jerry G. Petroff 609.771.2308 petroff@tcnj.edu $245,851
NC Cullowhee Western Carolina University David L. Westling 828-227-3287 westling@email.wcu.edu $500,000
ND Minot Minot State University Janet Green 701-858-4473 janet.green@minotstateu.edu $180,085
OH Columbus Ohio State University Margo Vreeburg Izzo 614-292-9218 izzo.1@osu.edu $499,060
OH Kent Kent State University Robert Baer 330-672-0722 rbaer@kent.edu $384,997
SC Charleston College of Charleston Cynthia May 843-953-6735 mayc@cofc.edu $418,140
TN Knoxville University of Tennessee Elizabeth Fussell 865-974-9176 lizfuss@utk.edu $321,683
TX Houston Houston Community College Sue Moraska 713-718-6833 sue.moraska@hccs.edu $499,434
VT Burlington University of Vermont and State Agricultural College Susan Ryan 802- 656-1143 Susan.Ryan@uvm.edu $309,270
VA Richmond Virginia Commonwealth University Elizabeth E. Getzel 804-827-0748 lgetzel@vcu.edu $398,149
WA Des Moines Highline Community College Jennifer Sandler 206-878-3710 x3474 jsandler@highline.edu $217,762
TPSID Coordinating Center grantee
MA Boston University of Massachusetts-Boston Debra Hart 617-287-4341 debra.hart@umb.edu $330,000