The University of North Alabama has received more than $1.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education and the Alabama Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services, the school announced last week.

The Department of Education provided a Trio Student Services grant and the governor’s office awarded an AmeriCorps State Planning Grant to start an AmeriCorps program on  campus.

“Our goal is to provide students with access to academic opportunities while equipping them with the tools they need to achieve overall success as they pursue their dreams,” said Dr. Joy Borah, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs.

“We believe in the transformative power of education, and the grant funding is critical in our efforts to engage students as partners in their academic journey with access to high-impact curricular and co-curricular services as they pursue their degrees.”

The school is the first university in the AmeriCorps Alabama State portfolio to receive an AmeriCorps grant. The grant will be used to develop the UNA Fostering Success program, a statewide program created to support the academic success and workforce development of students in foster care.

The program will help create academic and career pathways for foster youths who are working toward a bachelor’s degree at UNA and a job after graduation.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.