Greensboro, N. C. — Guilford College recently received $2,211,101 in government funding — the single largest non-endowment grant ever awarded to the College — through the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) to support the Guilford Edge.

Funds will support continued innovation in developing the newly designed Guilford Edge curriculum. The Guilford Edge, launched in Fall 2019, reimagines the future of education, offering uncommon engagement in real-world learning for every student. Through the Edge, students gain practical, hands-on experience that prepares them to excel in a global society. In just its first year, the Edge helped produce a six percent gain in first-to-second-year student retention and led to the highest recorded GPA for Fall semester classes since 2015.

Enhancements to the Edge will include two Bridge Programs and learning technology improvements and the funds. The grant will fund 79% of the total costs of these projects. The Bridge programs will support incoming first-year students and students moving from their first to their second year at Guilford. Learning Technology upgrades will include innovations in online, blended, and project-based learning in the Hege Library Academic Commons and the transformation of Duke Hall’s Leak Room into an interactive collaborative learning and presentation space.

About the SIP Grant

The purpose of SIP is to help colleges and universities expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions. The Title III grant will be distributed over five years and may be used for planning, faculty development, and establishing endowment funds. Administrative management, and the development and improvement of academic programs also are supported.

Media Contact: Roger Degerman, degermanre@guilford.edu