Northwestern State’s student-athletes picked up a six-figure assist from the NCAA as part of the organization’s Accelerating Academic Success Program.
Established in 2012, the AASP assists Division I schools as they work to meet the NCAA’s academic standards. Over $1 million in AASP grants are awarded annually to colleges and universities with limited resources to support the academic success of student-athletes and increase graduation rates.
Northwestern State was one of 11 institutions to receive an AASP grant. To be eligible for AASP grants, schools must either be in the Football Championship Subdivision or not sponsor a football program.
Northwestern State will invest the $100,000 in the athletic department’s Summer Bridge program, enhancing the tutoring staff, bringing in guest speakers for student-athlete development and for professional development for the student-athlete development staff.
As per the grant, Northwestern State University will add an additional $20,000 to the total, making it a $120,000 investment in the academic program.
“We are appreciative and excited to receive the single year Accelerating Academic Success Program grant from the NCAA,” said NSU Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs and Director of Compliance Dustin Eubanks, who authored the grant proposal. “One of our athletic department’s top priorities is academic success within our student-athlete population, and this grant will allow us to continue improvements in this area.”
NSU received the grant just months after the department set a record with an 88 percent Graduate Success Rate in the NCAA’s latest data.
The 2023 grant marks the second time Northwestern State has been selected as a grant recipient, having benefited from a multi-year AASP grant from 2014-16 that helped add another staff member to NSU’s student-athlete development staff.
