Contact: Di Saunders, OUS – Office: 503-725-5714; Cell: 971-219-6869
Source: Stephanie Carnahan, CACGP Program Director – Office: 541-346-5761; Cell: 541-359-6755

Portland, OR, October 21, 2010 – The State of Oregon announced last week that it has awarded a $38,003 grant Lane Community College’s College Transition Support Program (CTSP) project in Cottage Grove to help improve the chance of success for rural students in accessing and succeeding in college. Funded through a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education received by Oregon in August, Lane Community College’s award is part of the College Access Challenge Grant Program (CACGP) which awarded grants to 12 pre-college preparation programs across the state for a total of $607,000 in support.

Lane Community College’s College Transition Support Program project will be implemented in the South Lane School District, with the goal of adapting and expanding the current CTSP program and improving the college transition model to support rural students’ enrollment and retention. To achieve this goal, the project will include modified curriculum, increased coordination with high school staff and services, and additional adjustments to tailor the program to an off-campus setting to serve at-risk, rural students.

Laurie Swanson Gribskov, dean of High School Connections, Cooperative Education and Apprenticeship, noted, “We are delighted that with this funding we can better serve a rural area and develop a prototype to expand to other areas of Lane County. We have had good success in the metropolitan area and need to adapt what we do with rural communities in mind.”

Lane Community College will partner with Kennedy Alternative High School and Cottage Grove High School to deliver the programming to students. Besides the $38,003 provided by the grant, Lane Community College will be providing an additional $31,526 in matching funds to run the program.

Stephanie Carnahan, director of college access programs for the Oregon University System, said, “There is a great need in Oregon for pre-college programs that help students and families understand how to access college in a comprehensive way, from academic preparation to understanding how financial aid works. The College Transition Support Program is a great example of the type of support that all Oregon students need in order to ensure that they can access college and be academically and otherwise prepared to succeed in their education and career goals.”

The College Access Challenge Grant Program (CACGP) is a formula grant program that is designed to foster partnerships among Federal, State and local government entities and philanthropic organizations to significantly increase the number of underrepresented students who enter and remain in postsecondary education. CACGP provides two-year grants to States to meet the needs of underrepresented students and families. In Oregon, all education sectors and the Governor’s Office are involved in the CACGP, and the Oregon University System is the fiscal agent for the grant.

Oregon University System (OUS) comprises seven distinguished public universities and one branch campus, reaching more than one million people each year through on-campus classes, statewide public services, and lifelong learning. The Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the statutory governing board of OUS, is composed of twelve members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate. For additional information, go to www.ous.edu.

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