Northwestern State University of Louisiana athletics received the Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the second year in a row.
NSU will gain an additional $20,000 to the total for a combination of $120,000 for the Johnny Emmons Academic Study Center.
Ventric Fletcher, assistant athletic director for student-athlete development, acknowledged what the grant is and how NSU will benefit from it.
“It’s a one-year initiative grant that allows departments at low resource institutions, classified by the NCAA, to provide additional academic support to student-athletes,” Fletcher said. “For us, it takes a little bit of the burden off of relying on state funds for academic support.”
In 2012, the grant was first established by the AASP, which assists Division I schools working to meet the academic standards of the NCAA. The only requirement for schools to be eligible for the grant is that they are in Division I or a minority serving institution.
Fletcher explained how the grant will enhance the academic success of student-athletes at NSU.
“Last year when we received the grant, we were able to do a few things in terms of summer bridge (summer school) and professional development for our young staff,” Fletcher said. “But for the grant this year, it’s more for our student-athletes to be more technology based. We’re going to be able to provide more access to technology for our student-athletes.”
This is the third time NSU received a grant from the AASP.
“The first time, it was the $900,000 grant that they’ve since discontinued after COVID-19,” Fletcher said. “Last year, we received the one year initiative grant, and this year we are taking the next step in strategically improving the service we can provide for student-athletes.”
Dustin Eubanks, associate athletic director for compliance and internal operations, addressed the changes that will be made to the academic study center.
“For this grant, we focused on summer school funding but also purchasing new laptops and a portable charging cart that we can use in the academic center,” Eubanks said. “We want to continue to try to address some of those areas in the academic center; some of those computers are getting old.”
Eubanks discussed how the support staff of athletics will benefit from the grant.
“We are doing professional development in the academic center again, which is always beneficial,” Eubanks said. “By developing them, it can also lead to an increase in academic performance for our student-athletes.”
He elaborated on the importance of academic eligibility for student-athletes.
“It’s unfortunate that each year we do have student-athletes that don’t meet those minimum standards,” Eubanks said. “We try to do the best we can to provide them with the resources that can give them every benefit possible to get to those minimums and be able to progress to their degree.”
The athletic development staff hopes to obtain more grants each year to improve the lives of student-athletes as long as the NCAA allows NSU to submit proposals.
“Our number one thing is getting them to succeed on the field, but we also want them to achieve their degree,” Eubanks said. “Hopefully by doing this we’re giving them every opportunity to do that.”
Although he wasn’t involved in the process of acquiring the grant, Jason Pugh, associate athletic director for external operations, is confident that it will positively impact the athletics department.
“This grant will aid our department in continuing the legacy of academic success for Northwestern State student-athletes that has been built throughout the past several decades,” Pugh said.
He added that the grant will benefit the future of academics.
“Academic success has long been a cornerstone of our athletic department’s core values and mission statement,” Pugh said. “This grant helps maintain the momentum our student-athletes have built in the classroom.”
As student-athletes receive new technological advances and resources, and the athletic academic support staff receives professional development training, the AASP grant will impact the future of the department.
