Press Release: SCTC College Success Grant
11/20/2025 4:08:00 PM
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 19, 2025
Contact: Amanda Flaugher, Ed. D
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
5805 E. Pickard St. Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(989) 317-4760
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Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College Awarded Nearly $650,000 to Expand Student Success Services
Mount Pleasant, Mich. — The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) has been awarded a $649,968 College Success Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) to enhance academic support and improve student outcomes.
Funded through a three year grant from the MiLEAP Office of Higher Education, the College Success Grant initiative supports Michigan’s public and tribal colleges in strengthening policies and practices that reduce time to credential, increase persistence, and close equity gaps in higher education.
The grant will enable SCTC to transform its Writing Center into a comprehensive Student Success Center, providing academic support across math, science, and English, and establishing a holistic model for student achievement. The project will also expand the college’s Learning Assistant (LA) program and introduce a Summer Bridge program to help students transition successfully into college-level coursework.
“This funding allows us to make a lasting investment in student success,” said Dr. Amanda Flaugher, who oversees the project at SCTC. “By creating a centralized Student Success Center and hiring full-time Learning Assistants, we can provide consistent, high-quality academic support in the courses that challenge students most.”
The grant will also support faculty participation in the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Gateway Course Redesign, beginning with a focus on science in the first year, followed by math and English in subsequent years. This initiative aims to improve instructional quality, equity, and engagement in gateway courses.
Key goals of the project include:
- Increasing the average course completion rate from 78% to 85% by 2028
- Raising the average cumulative GPA from 3.05 to 3.25
- Reducing the number of students with a GPA below 2.0
- Expanding data-driven student support and engagement initiatives
By integrating these improvements into its strategic plan, SCTC is committed to sustaining these initiatives beyond the grant period.
“We’re not just piloting a short-term project,” said Dr. Flaugher. “We’re building the foundation for systemic, long-term improvements that will support every student who walks through our doors.”
The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College joins other Michigan colleges in MiLEAP’s statewide effort to advance educational equity, persistence, and completion through the College Success Grant program.
About Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Founded in 1998, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is a tribally controlled institution of higher learning located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. SCTC provides culturally relevant, high-quality educational opportunities for Indigenous and local students, fostering lifelong learning, leadership, and community development.