Clarksville, TN – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Austin Peay State University a $1.8 million grant to continue funding the successful Educational Opportunity Center (EOC).
The EOC received funding for five years, from 2011–2016, for $373,614 per grant year. The EOC funding falls under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and is part of the TRiO Programs. The program is designed to assist low-income adults in entering college by helping them to overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
Two-thirds of the adults served in the program must come from low-income families, where neither parent graduated from college. The grant received a perfect score of 117 out of 117 possible points. Of significance were the full bonus points received for the competitive priority in addressing the needs of the military-connected students, veterans, active duty and spouses of active-duty service members.
The EOC at APSU has been in existence since 1988, serving adult residents of Montgomery, Stewart and Christian counties. With this award, EOC now serves Houston County.
During the past 23 years, EOC has provided educational assistance, financial aid and career information to more than 34,500 adults who have wished to pursue further education after high school. The program has collaborated with numerous community agencies and organizations to fulfill its mission of assisting adults who wish to pursue higher education in the area.
For more information, contact John Johnson, director of the EOC, by telephone at 931.221.7669 or by email at johnsonjc@apsu.edu.
