KEENE, Texas — Southwestern Adventist University has received a federal Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant to launch Gateway to Graduation: Enhancing Transfer Student Access, Retention, and Completion at SWAU. The five-year initiative has a proposed budget of $4,999,527 and focuses on expanding transfer student opportunity and degree completion. The initiative focuses on helping students move from community college to a bachelor's degree with clearer academic pathways and more coordinated support. This project is designed to strengthen transfer planning, advising, retention, and degree completion here in Johnson County. The project plan includes structured transfer pathways in Business, Education, Psychology, Healthcare, and Liberal Arts, supported by articulation agreements and a Program Pathways Mapper. These resources are intended to help students understand how their coursework applies toward a SWAU degree and make informed decisions before transferring.

Planned student support includes pre-transfer advising, financial literacy programming, and coordinated assistance across the two institutions. The initiative also connects academic study with work-based learning and graduate-school preparation, helping students consider the opportunities that follow graduation.

For students balancing school, employment, and family responsibilities, a clearer transfer process can make the next step in their education easier to navigate. Gateway to Graduation seeks to address those challenges while strengthening collaboration in Johnson County.

The project period runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2031. Initial funding has been awarded; the full proposed five-year budget is subject to future continuation awards and applicable requirements.

The initiative reflects SWAU's mission of Knowledge. Faith. Service. by expanding educational opportunity and helping students progress toward meaningful careers and service.

View the official SIP grant awards: https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-higher-education/improvement-of-postsecondary-education/strengthening-institutions-program-84031a/grant-awards