Grants to help strengthen academic support to historically under-resourced schools
The NCAA has awarded 17 member schools Accelerating Academic Success Program grants totaling more than $1.6 million to support student-athlete academic achievement for the 2026-27 academic year.
The NCAA AASP grant program was created in 2012 to provide targeted resources to historically under-resourced Division I schools. The grants are used by schools to strengthen academic support, help improve Academic Progress Rates and build programs that help student-athletes thrive en route to graduation.
“On behalf of the NCAA, it is an honor to congratulate each of the 17 schools that were awarded a single-year Accelerating Academic Success Program grant for the 2026-2027 academic year,” said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement. “Each grant recipient was intentional with application details that strive to address a holistic and positive student-athlete experience. We are excited to see how this grant evolves services that complement student-athletes’ educational experience and their academic success.”
The 17 schools that received AASP grants for 2026-27 are:
- Alabama A& M (Huntsville, Alabama)
- Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tennessee)
- Chicago State (Chicago)*
- Cleveland State (Cleveland)
- Coppin State (Baltimore)
- East Texas A&M (Commerce, Texas)*
- Indiana State (Terre Haute, Indiana)
- Jackson State (Jackson, Mississippi)*
- Long Beach State (Long Beach, California)
- Morgan State (Baltimore)
- Mississippi Valley (Itta Bena, Mississippi)
- Northwestern State (Natchitoches, Louisiana)
- Tennessee State (Nashville, Tennessee)
- University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio)*
- University of South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
- UT Martin (Martin, Tennessee)
- Winthrop (Rock Hill, South Carolina)*
*first-time AASP grant recipient
This year, the NCAA received a record 31 grant applications for the 2026-27 academic period. Since 2023, the NCAA has seen grant applications triple.
The NCAA has awarded more than 300 grants for its member schools since the program began. Schools can apply for one- or multiple-year grant awards. Schools have used the grants for various needs, including hiring specific graduate assistants, supporting tutorial/mentor programs, and supplementing technology or learning tools. The NCAA has also encouraged schools that do not receive grants in any particular year to continue re-applying to the program in subsequent years.
The Accelerating Academic Success Program is a joint operation of the NCAA inclusion, education and community engagement division and Division I. Additionally, the grant program connects the NCAA to its member schools, which provide academic support, career-readiness programs and other resources that help ensure long-term student-athlete success.
The NCAA also regularly engages with schools during the academic year and will host access to online educational resources and create a forum to assist schools with questions and provide insights to support implementation. Additionally, select student-athletes from AASP schools who plan to pursue work in a sport-related industry are invited to the NCAA Career Forum each spring to expose them to NCAA programming and networking opportunities. This year, Jackson State track and field student-athlete Robert Salhab III was recognized with the AASP Student-Athlete Award at the forum.
NCAA AASP grant applications open in February and close in May. You can go to ncaa.org for more information on the program.
