Manhattan University Awarded $3 Million U.S. Department of Education Grant to Launch Pathways to Practice
Title III funding will establish the Pathways Career and Advising Center, bringing success coaching, career preparation and experiential learning together in one centralized hub.
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Manhattan University a $3 million Individual Development Grant through the Strengthening Institutions Program to launch Pathways to Practice, a new initiative connecting students’ academic experience to their professional futures. The program, established under Title III of the Higher Education Act, helps colleges and universities expand their capacity to serve students with financial need.
Led by the Office of the Provost, Pathways to Practice establishes the Pathways Career and Advising Center. The center is rooted in holistic success coaching and will bring professional preparation, employer relations and experiential education together in one place. It will work alongside the faculty mentorship that is a hallmark of the Manhattan experience.
“This award is both an investment in our students and a recognition of what Manhattan already does well,” said Frederick Bonato, Ph.D., President of Manhattan University. “Pathways to Practice brings every part of career readiness into one place, so our students leave with the skills, the experience and the proof that they are ready for the real world.”
The initiative will also provide students with a digital badging and portfolio platform. Students will earn verified digital badges for the skills they build, both in and out of the classroom, and gather them into a portfolio they can share with employers. The result is a clear, credible record of what each student can do.
Title III grants are awarded competitively to institutions that serve a significant number of students for whom college is a financial stretch. The Department of Education directs this funding where it expects the investment to deliver measurable results, making the award both a resource for students and a vote of confidence in the University’s ability to put it to work.
Pathways to Practice reflects the University’s Lasallian commitment to educating the whole person and preparing graduates for lives of meaningful work and service.