The Higher Education Act of 1965 established the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), which provides substantial federal financial assistance to eligible post-secondary institutions in order to expand and strengthen their capacity to address the needs of students from low-income backgrounds.
In 2020, Concord University was awarded this five-year grant in order to implement CU Forward, a comprehensive project aligned with the University’s mission and focused on three areas of critical need to the University and the wider community:

• Increasing affordable access to general education and market-driven degree programs through innovative online courses.
• Providing strong student engagement with research/internships that lead to graduation and a career.
• Developing a robust and transparent office of Institutional Research to share data with students, parents, and community, faculty, and staff.

CU Forward reports to the Vice President of Operations and is guided by a comprehensive evaluation plan approved by the Department of Education.