Florence-Darlington Technical College’s grants provide services
Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) was awarded more than $2.6 million in grant funding throughout 2020. The largest of the grants was $1,375,525, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to benefit FDTC’s Student Support Services (SSS) program. The grant will fund individualized counseling and tutoring, assist students with preparing and submitting financial aid forms, and it will also acquaint students with career options and academic programs. Students will be exposed to cultural events as well. Eligible students must be U.S. citizens, have a need for academic support and be disadvantaged (low-income, a first-generation college student or an individual with disabilities). The FDTC Removing Underserved Student Hurdles (RUSH) program was awarded $599, 993 from the U.S. Department of Education to fund the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The RUSH Program serves first-time freshmen enrolled in STEM and Healthcare programs. Students must apply and be accepted into the program. Services include, personalized tutoring in specialized hubs (Biology, English/Reading, Math), academic advisement, career counseling, job shadowing, workshops, book/laptop loan program, STEM Lab/Mixed Reality Center, cultural enrichment, and student leadership development. FDTC’s Carl D. Perkins $337,000 grant will be used to provide mentoring, tutoring, coaching, career exploration and work-based learning opportunities for students in career and technical programs. Other services include assistance on resumes, interviewing skills, job search strategies and community engagement, and assistance to students in developing self-awareness of how values, strengths and passion relates to chosen careers. FDTC’s Corporate and Workforce Development division received a $90,500 Apprenticeships Carolina Expansion Grant that features flow-through funds, which were awarded to the South Carolina Technical College System from the U.S. Department of Labor. Funds will be used to pay tuition and fees for students in Registered Apprenticeships that combine coursework with paid on the job training. For example, funds from the grant trained and placed 14 students through McLeod Health’s registered Medical Surgical Technician (MST) program. The MST students earned their national Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential, along with 20 hours of advanced skills training. Upon completion, students immediately went to work at McLeod Health, as Medical Surgical Technicians, caring for patients. FDTC recently became a participant in the U.S. Department of Education’s Project Success. The purpose of Project Success is to help students stay in college and earn credentials leading to jobs. Project Success services will be available to all students at FDTC starting in the Spring 2021 semester. Services include an online platform where students can use money management tools and resources. Another resource for students is a career exploration tool, which helps students understand their interests and capabilities and choose college majors based on that knowledge. For more information on grant funding at FDTC, please contact the Office of Institutional Grants by emailing Jennifer.Mabry@fdtc.edu or calling 843-661-8129.
