CFDA#
None
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Funder Type
State Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Summary
Veteran Reconnect Grants are a component of the Drive to 55, Governor Haslam's goal of equipping 55 percent of working age Tennesseans with a degree or certificate by 2025. This grant builds on efforts initiated by the Tennessee General Assembly. Grant efforts will capitalize on the successes of previous collaborations between THEC and the Tennessee Board of Regents, locally Governed Institutions, and the University of Tennessee system to support prior learning assessment. The grant will also build on the actions of postsecondary institutions that currently demonstrate their commitment to veterans by executing programs to support veterans' success.
This fifth round will provide funding options to support student veterans' transition from the military into higher education, onto their academic success and preparation for the civilian workforce. Proposal options will include three potential areas for supporting student veterans in Tennessee:
- Individual institutions focusing on new and/or innovative programs, policies, or procedures along the spectrum of student veterans experience in higher education
- Collaboration between institutions, or the coordination of higher education governing bodies, to meet the needs of student veterans focusing on the needs of individual institutions in order to develop new and/or innovative programs, policies, or procedures along the spectrum of the student veteran experience in higher education
- Research conducted by faculty regarding the academic performance factors of student veterans attending public higher education institutions across the state of Tennessee and/or research into recommendations for academic supports for student veterans
Research topics may include but are not limited to: Research of public institutions across Tennessee
- Research veterans academic performance at TCATs, community colleges, or universities
- Research processes, policies, or academic needs to enhance veterans academic success in Tennessee
- Research to determine initial academic performance metrics for veterans' entering higher education, such as GPA in postsecondary courses, scores on standardized tests of academic preparedness for college/university, and high school academic performance, which could be used to compare to their performance when attending higher education institutions state-wide
- Jobs placement and success for veterans after completing a program of study
- Research the effect of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) on veterans academic performance at higher education institutions across the state
- Other research determining veterans academic success across Tennessee
History of Funding
Previous awardees can be seen at https://www.tn.gov/thec/for-institutions/grant-programs-for-institutions/veteran-reconnect-grant.html.
Additional Information
Examples of appropriate uses of grant funds may include but are not limited to:
- Create/implement data tracking systems of veterans academic performance
- Revamp admissions program to clearly identify veterans/military affiliated students
- First year orientation or retention program; Note: reference GI Bill®, DVA, or DoD education benefits limitations
- Develop transition programs for veterans such as Upward Bound
- Create advising/mentoring programs for veterans
- Enhance capacity for veterans academic success at institutions
- Job placement programs for veterans after completion of program of study
- Other programs helping veterans academic success
- Data systems and data sharing at institutions
Funding limitations: THEC selection committee has the right to determine authorized or allowed funding within the proposal. Individual institutions, collaborative groups, coordinating governing agency, or researchers must clearly justify the need for funding. Funding requests falling within the following limited funding areas may only be available after distributing all other grant funds. As a reminder, requests for funds under the limited funding area must also fit into the overall evaluation plan for the grant proposal.
LIMITED: funds to develop or improve existing veterans' centers
- Any proposals must have strong evidence that vets center funding is needed and demonstrate how it will improve veterans academic success
- Institutions must contribute at least 50% in matching funds
LIMITED: funds for marketing
- Funds must meet the intent of the contract and not just relay the costs of marketing from the institution to the grant
- Institutions must contribute at least 50% in matching funds
LIMITED: funding personnel
- Institutions should clearly demonstrate that the institution budget will sustain funding personnel beyond the term of the contract or clearly state how the new employee is only needed for implementation of the proposed program
- Proposal must define hiring process for grant funded personnel and clearly show coordination with Human Resources department verifying that the proposal meets the hiring policies of the institution; include qualification requirements and verify salary and benefit rates for the proposed position or a comparable position
- Institutions must have matching funds for salaries of at least 25%
- If the personnel are short term grant funded personnel, institutions should clearly demonstrate that funds will cover the time frame of the grant-funded program from the date of hiring new personnel to the end of their contract or the time frame they are needed
LIMITED: use of funding for external professional development conference or training attendance by staff, faculty, or administrators involved with the grant (example: NASPA, TEAVPA, AVECO), or to hire external agencies as a form of professional development.
- This does not include meetings developed or external agencies hired as a training, orientation, or conference to meet the needs of the proposal plan; any item fitting this criteria must be clearly articulated
- Conferences or training sponsored by THEC are not included in these limitations; funding will be coordinated if a THEC-sponsored conference or training is scheduled
- If awarded grant funds in this category, there will be a maximum of one conference or training event allowed within these grants and it must be clearly justified
- Conference or training attendance must show the attendance will enhance or improve veterans success
- - Institutions must contribute at least 50% in matching funds
Eligibility Details
Eligible applicants are Tennessee Institutions of Higher Education. Personnel from eligible campuses or faculty (research) submitting proposals must be employed by Tennessee public or private not-for-profit institutions or the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) or University of Tennessee system and must be officially domiciled within the state of Tennessee.
Deadline Details
A Letter of Intent to Submit proposals for this grant is due through e-mail to Ken.Hanson@tn.gov by 12:00 PM (CT) on October 4, 2019. Send final proposals, including all components described in this RFP, by email to Ken.Hanson@tn.gov no later than 12:00 PM (CT) on October 30, 2019.
Award Details
The 2019-20 Veteran Reconnect program will provide grants of up to 12 or 24 months with funding amounts of approximately $50,000 - $150,000 for individual or research proposals or up to $200,000 for collaborating institutions or governing bodies. A cost match of 50% may be required.
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