MSU receives summer bridge program grant from Kentucky CPE

Morehead State University is among a select group of Kentucky higher education institutions receiving one of two dozen summer “bridge” program grants from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). 

MSU will receive a grant for $86,961. The $1.5 million in grants awarded to higher education institutions will provide opportunities 1,800 high school and first-year college students across the state. The purpose of summer bridge programs is to aid students in making a successful transition to college and set them up for success in their second year of undergraduate education. 

Dr. Laurie Couch, associate provost for undergraduate education and student success at MSU, said the grant will support MSU’s Success Academy, a summer bridge program for incoming students. Here, students live on campus for five weeks, receive intensive training in strategies for student success, and take two college courses to kickstart their MSU experience.   

“The students in the program will get high-level support from our tutoring center, our retention staff, our faculty, and some alumni and community leaders. They also will learn together in the fall semester by continuing in a learning community around their First Year Seminar course, as well,” Couch said. “The program is an excellent opportunity for the students who participate, as they will be able to transition to college and transition to post-pandemic education in an ultra-supportive environment that teaches them to be successful.” 

Couch said the CPE grant will enhance the Success Academy’s capabilities and allow it to be a viable option for incoming first-year students. 

“Our goal is to provide the students in the program with the best possible start so that they have the necessary skills to persist from semester to semester and graduate,” she said. “As an institution, this will help us achieve our mission and strategic goals and to contribute to the success of our region.” 

To learn more about MSU’s Success Academy, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/success-academy, email success@moreheadstate.edu, or call 606-783-2084.