High Speed Grant Writing Tips: Focus on the Desperate Need for Your Project

As you may know, Drew & Associates recently assisted Irvine Valley College (IVC) in winning a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. According to an article by Chris Fuchs of NBC News, IVC was one of just ten U.S. colleges and universities to receive grants totaling more than $14.5 million to help expand and strengthen educational opportunities for Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander students.

Irvine Valley College plans to use the money for an intercultural center for students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as art, President Glenn R. Roquemore told NBC News.

Of the 14,964 students enrolled in Irvine Valley College, 28 percent are Asian, according to the school's website. Roquemore said his school received $1.5 million spread out over five years and will also use that funding for faculty and peer mentoring services, as well as for outreach to Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander students.

"Although Irvine is oftentimes observed as being fairly wealthy, 50 percent of our students are on what's called bond waivers, and that means that they actually qualify being in poverty based on federal guidelines," Roquemore said.