Barrier Removal Growing Institutional Capacity

The Barrier Removal Growing Institutional Capacity grant program is administered by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) under the Sixty by 30 Student Success Grants initiative. The program assists higher education institutions in strengthening systems that remove life and poverty-related barriers for students struggling to meet their basic needs, including access to food, housing, transportation, childcare, and other essential supports, to improve postsecondary credential attainment.

Eligible applicants include Michigan community colleges, Tribal colleges, public colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations in active partnership with a college or university. Proposals are evaluated on the presence of sound design principles and evidence-based plans for capacity building, clear strategies for cultivating community partnerships, actionable frameworks for cross-silo collaboration ensuring campus personnel can direct students to resources, and viable plans to sustain institutional capacity after the grant period ends. Applications must also align with overall Sixty by 30 values, including centering learner experiences, examining institutional policy impacts, taking an asset-based approach to student success, and rigorously measuring outcomes.

Grant awards range from $100,000 to $400,000 for grant periods of one to three years. Applications must be submitted electronically through the State of Michigan EGrAMS portal. Paper application templates are made available strictly for planning purposes and are not accepted for submission. The application window is currently closed, and interested institutions should monitor official MiLEAP communications for updates on future grant cycles.