American International College Receives $2.2 Million Grant from Department of Education

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has been awarded a $2.2 million Title III: Strengthening Institutions grant from the Department of Education for the AIC Plan for Excellence (APEX) program. The grant, to be distributed over five years, will cover a wide range of activities associated with the development of the APEX program.

APEX is a shared curricular experience designed to achieve four main learning goals for students, including intellectual development and lifelong learning, personal growth, social and cultural competency, as well as career and professional development. Further, APEX will improve the value of an AIC education by creating synergy between practical, real-life skills and academic knowledge. The program will blend traditional classroom learning with co-curricular experiences and other experiential learning opportunities. By making participation in APEX a requirement for all undergraduates, every scholar will be afforded the resources to succeed academically and graduate with a set of tools to ensure lifelong personal and professional success.

“American International College is proud to be among the 36 colleges and universities across the United States to receive this grant,” said President Vince Maniaci. “As an institution committed to providing access and opportunity to a diverse student body, this greatly assists in serving students from socioeconomic backgrounds for whom attending college is not a guarantee.”

The grant will cover program and personnel costs, technology and equipment needs, curriculum development, an endowment match, and other related project expenses.