BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield College has been awarded 2021 funding totaling $4.25 million through two U.S. Department of Education’s Predominantly Black Institutions Program grants to increase the college’s capacity to promote the postsecondary success of black students.
Bloomfield College is the only New Jersey institution to receive PBI grants in the present funding period.
“These grants will significantly improve the college’s ability to support the increased needs of the minority student population that is served at Bloomfield College,” Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Michael A. Palladino said. “Our African American male students, specifically, have faced low retention and graduation rates exacerbated by the pandemic which has added personal and financial challenges, and basic needs insecurity, that are barriers to their enrolling in college and to degree completion.”
The first grant, the FY 2021 PBI Competitive Grant, is in the amount of $600,000 per year for five years with a total funding amount of $3 million from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2026. This grant will enable Bloomfield College to develop and deploy the Coaching Habits for African-American Male Students to Promote Success Program to increase the enrollment and academic success, retention and graduation of African American male students at the college and to prepare them for their future professions. Evidence-based activities will include coaching; paid student internships; peer tutoring; online tutoring; leadership workshops and retreats; mental health outreach programs; and access to online professional development activities for staff and faculty to build their capacity to create remote learning experiences that advance student engagement and learning through effective use of technology.
The second grant, the FY 2021 PBI Formula Grant, is in the amount of $250,000 per year for five years with a total funding amount of more than $1.25 million from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2026. This funding will enable Bloomfield College to develop and implement programs to enhance the institution’s capacity to serve more low- and middle-income African American students; improve the way that support services and workshops are provided to students to strengthen student persistence and increase graduation rates; and strengthen the college’s financial ability to serve the academic needs of its students through increased enrollment. Project activities will include a campuswide mentoring program; financial literacy workshops; and additional first-year student support, as well as enhancing external communications to promote Bloomfield College courses and programs.
“I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Palladino and his team for successfully applying for these recent PBI grants,” said Marcheta P. Evans, the college’s first black and female president. “The work we do to serve underserved populations at Bloomfield College will be greatly supported through these federal dollars and we are grateful to the decision-makers who recognized the needs of the college and that of our students.”
“This grant is great news for Bloomfield College and the district,” U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. said. “Bloomfield College does an exceptional job educating African American students to prepare them for high-paying jobs in the future. But studies have shown that we are not getting enough African American males to attend college and get degrees. This grant will help the school get more of these students into college, encourage them to stay and graduate, and give them a top-notch education so they can have fulfilling careers.”
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