Dive Brief:
- On Thursday, the Obama administration announced the creation of a $75 million grant program — dubbed First In The World (FITW) — focused on encouraging innovation, access, and completion in higher ed, as well as cutting costs.
- As much as $20 million of the funding dedicated to the program will be reserved for "minority-serving institutions."
- The U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education will oversee the program, and proposals must address key priorities focused on helping underrepresented, underprepared, or low-income students.
Dive Insight:
Among those priorities: Improving enrollment, access, and completion — particularly in STEM fields — as well as improving affordability and time to completion. Applications are available now and must be submitted by June 30, with the grants set to be awarded in September.