Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, has announced a $25 million grant from the Duke Endowment in support of the Furman Advantage program.

Launched in 2016 with a $25 million grant from the Duke Endowment, the program provides every Furman student with a personalized four-year pathway to graduation that includes academic advising, mentoring, and career guidance, coupled with undergraduate research opportunities, internships, and off-campus study.

The new funding will support continued program development, including enhanced  learning experiences, a strengthened mentoring network, and expanded career engagement activities through various academic departments and the Malone Center for Career Engagement. The funds also will be used to lower barriers and increase access to engagement for all students, with the goal of increasing a student's sense of belonging, and, pending faculty approval, will support an expansion of Pathways, a pilot mentoring and advising program for first- and second-year students.

Data from the first three years of the program show that it has secured funding support for all students who applied for summer research and internships, increased need-based funding for off-campus study, and increased participation in engaged learning experiences, which were found to improve the chances that a student finds employment or enrolls in graduate school after graduation.

"Furman has not only implemented a unique plan for all its students, the university is continually measuring and assessing progress," said Bill Barnet, chair of the Duke Endowment's Committee on Educational Institutions. "Furman's planning and measurements create a blueprint for this campus and for others to follow."