Fuel student support transformation with federal funds

Discover how InsideTrack helps institutions better utilize federal grant funding to support and empower their learners

Every institution wants to improve their student support. That’s why you show up, every day — to make your students’ lives better. But what if you don’t have the right funding? Or you’ve been awarded federal grant money but don’t know the most impactful ways to use it?

That’s where InsideTrack comes in. Over the last ten years, we have worked with more than 40 institutions to implement coaching initiatives with the use of grant funding. We have extensive experience working with institutions throughout the proposal and project development process to develop sustainable student support initiatives while ensuring you’re meeting federal requirements.

InsideTrack’s work assisting institutions leverage their federal funding is all the more important to us because it aligns with our mission to close equity gaps through initiatives that drive equitable learner success. Our evidence-based, research-confirmed methodology — listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s “What Works Clearinghouse” of evidence-based practices — and over 20 years of experience providing personalized coaching make this work possible. What’s more, we can also help train and develop the student support staff at the institutions we partner with, enabling them to create their own self-sustaining coaching programs — programs that impact their learners long after the grant funds expire.

To show our work in action, we’re sharing two institution success stories that demonstrate how, through a partnership with InsideTrack, federal grant funding allowed our partners to transform their student support.

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Illinois Central College

Funds Used: Department of Education Title III: Strengthening Institutions grant program

Staff members at Illinois Central College (ICC), a community college that supports one in four graduating high school seniors in their region, are particularly passionate about enhancing the academic and personal development of their students through a full range of support services. In order to improve retention rates, expand their reach and maximize their impact, ICC partnered with InsideTrack to find a sustainable student-support solution and redesign their academic advising services.

To meet federal grant requirements, the improvements unfolded over a four-year, two-phase program. Phase 1 involved one-on-one coaching by InsideTrack – which resulted in 18% higher retention for coached students. Phase 2 progressed into a multi-stage capacity building program in which ICC staff received coach training so they, in turn, could train their own employees on InsideTrack’s coaching methodology.

As a result, ICC was able to elevate their in-house advising practices, improve student outcomes, and ultimately create a long-term, sustainable solution that will carry on long after their federal funds expire. And the partnership isn’t over yet. As ICC and InsideTrack continue to partner to focus on training and development, we’re ensuring that ICC can sustain the impact on student success for years to come. What has made this powerful partnership possible? A shared drive to fuel student success, organizational commitment to being open to change, and federal dollars from the Title III grant program.

To learn more about ICC and their funding-enabled work to transform student support, visit our case study.

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North Central Texas College

Funds Used: Department of Labor TAACCCT + Perkins grant programs, Department of Education Title III: Strengthening Institutions grant program

North Central Texas College (NCTC), the oldest continuously operating two-year college in Texas, is a great example of how an institution can braid together multiple funding sources over multiple years to create a scalable, sustainable coaching program. Over the course of our partnership, InsideTrack has worked with NCTC to weave together Department of Labor and Department of Education grants to build sustainable coaching initiatives across their campuses. Making full use of their federal funds along with some institutional funding, NCTC became the first community college in the US to partner with us on a “train-the-trainer” model, meaning their internal support staff was trained in our coaching methodology, so they could support every student with the power of coaching.

By transitioning from transactional advising into holistic, wraparound coaching – and then expanding even further into training – NCTC was able to create a culture of coaching that took shape across every student interaction. InsideTrack coaching methodology was weaved into roles campus-wide — helping advisors, career coaches, enrollment guides and athletic coaches who advise student-athletes better support the students they work with. But the transformation didn’t stop there. Coaching was incorporated into entire student-facing departments, including admissions, financial aid and the business office — departments that had previously been strictly transactional. And those in leadership roles also received the training, ensuring the coaching mindset becomes a routine part of the way staff and administrators support their students.

As a result, NCTC has woven holistic coaching into everything they do and become unified and consistent in delivering support. This institution-wide, sustainable coaching culture would not have happened without the federal funding – and InsideTrack’s help on how best to leverage it.

To learn more about NCTC and their federal fund-fueled success, check out our insights into this partnership.