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Office of Institutional Grants

Aims Community College Office of Institutional Grants provides leadership in developing and maintaining grant support and strategic grants planning. The department assists faculty and staff in developing competitive proposals, coordinating institutional approval of all grant and contract proposals submitted by Aims, and providing support for grants management activities.

Faculty or staff who would like to apply for a grant and external entities that would like to partner with Aims Community College on a grant, please email or call the Grants Manager. 

Students applying for financial aid can learn more about standard federal grants on the Student Financial Aid Office page. 

Current Grants

  • Amount: $10,671,840
  • Project Period: 3/13/2020 - 5/11/2022
  • Contact Person: Chuck Jensen
  • Email: chuck.jensen@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: US Department of Education

This program is 100% funded by the Federal Government via the U.S. Department of Education to cover costs associated with coronavirus. Institutional portion funds may be used to defray expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll), and to carry out student support activities authorized by the HEA that address needs related to coronavirus. Institutional funds may also be used to make additional financial aid grants to students.

 

  • Amount: $7,646,828
  • Project Period: 3/13/2020 - 5/21/2022
  • Contact Person: Chuck Jensen
  • Email: chuck.jensen@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: US Department of Education

The purpose of this program is to support college students whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus and are facing financial challenges. This program is 100% funded by the Federal Government via the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions must make financial aid grants to students, which can be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care. Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, and authorizes grants to students exclusively enrolled in distance education.

  • Amount: $2,330,193.18
  • Project Period: 8/22/2022 - 12/31/2024
  • Contact Person: Chris Peterson
  • Email: chris.peterson@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: US Department of the Treasury via the Colorado Community College System

Students who enroll in specific short-term health care training programs at Aims Community College will pay nothing, thanks to the new Care Forward Colorado program.

  • Amount: $931,251.37
  • Project Period: 9/15/2023 - 6/1/2025
  • Contact Person: Chris Peterson
  • Email: chris.peterson@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education, for the use and benefit of the Colorado Community College System

The Career Advance Colorado program provides zero-cost, short-term training at Aims Community College, offering you a clear path to employment or to earning a degree with limited debt.  

Gain hands-on experience and learn the skills to prepare you for positions in: 

  • Construction
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Elementary Education
  • Firefighting
  • Law Enforcement
  • Nursing

  • Amount: $50,000
  • Project Period: 8/29/2022 - 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Jacob Marshall
  • Email: jacob.marshall@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Transportation

The funding will support the creation of a Mobile Aviation Lab with industry equipment to promote careers in aviation and aerospace among Colorado K-12 students and encourage, empower, and educate all those whose interests, lives, and work involve aviation and aerospace without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, or point of view.

 

  • Amount: $50,000
  • Project Period: 8/14/2023 - 6/30/2025
  • Contact Person: Jacob Marshall
  • Email: jacob.marshall@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Transportation

The funding will allow Aims to update its current UAS fleet to stay ahead of current and future industry standards. The new UAS fleet acquisition will provide greater student accessibility and opportunity in the fields of film, construction, inspection, and precision agriculture.

 

  • Amount: $1,250,756
  • Project Period: 10/1/2021 - 6/30/2025
  • Contact Person: Gabriela Sanchez
  • Email: gabriela.sanchez@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Higher Education

The Finish What You Started program will increase enrollment, persistence, and completion of students with some college, no degree and first time students admitted but not enrolled for 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 academic year and decrease student debt for participants.

 

  • Amount: $41,562
  • Project Period: 7/1/2023 - 6/30/2025
  • Contact Person: Kelly Jackson
  • Email: kelly.jackson@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Higher Education

The purpose of the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative Matching Student Scholarship Grant is to increase the amount of scholarships available for post-secondary students in Colorado. Aims Foundation must match every dollar given by the State. 

  • Amount: Up to $40,000
  • Project Period: 5/1/2020 - 4/30/2024
  • Contact Person: David Sordi
  • Email: david.sordi@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

The Colorado Space Grant Consortium is funded by NASA and is a state-wide organization involving 21 colleges, universities and institutions around Colorado. Each grantee provides Colorado students access to space through innovative courses, real-world hands-on telescope and satellite programs, and interactive outreach programs. The students interact with engineers and scientists from NASA and aerospace companies to develop, test, and fly new space technologies and to support our outreach and teaching programs.

  • Amount: $5,500
  • Project Period: 7/1/2023 - 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Doug Strauss
  • Email: doug.strauss@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency:  Colorado Department of Education

The grant funds can be spent on any educational materials: books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and even electronic resources and databases.  

  • Amount: $20,000
  • Project Period: 4/1/2023 - 5/31/2024
  • Contact Person: Kelly Jackson
  • Email: kelly.jackson@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Daniels Fund

Student recipients may apply BOS funds only toward the cost of tuition and required fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation/commuting expenses (limited to gas and public transportation).  Scholarship funds may be awarded only to students who are legal residents of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming. Scholarship funds may only go to recipients pursuing a two- or fouryear degree.

  • Amount: $124,000
  • Project Period: 3/1/2022 - 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Dr. Douglas Strauss
  • Email: doug.strauss@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Education

Aims Community College was awarded its fourth Open Educational Resources (OER) grant in four years from the Colorado Department of Higher Education to support the development of Free-to-Student (F2S) courses. F2S courses are designed with OER and other materials that do not have costs borne by students (e.g. library licensed content).

  • Amount: $10,000
  • Project Period: 4/1/2023 - 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Dr. Douglas Strauss
  • Email: doug.strauss@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Education

Aims Community College was awarded its fifth Open Educational Resources (OER) grant in five years from the Colorado Department of Higher Education to support the development of Free-to-Student (F2S) courses. F2S courses are designed with OER and other materials that do not have costs borne by students (e.g. library licensed content).

  • Amount: $414,736
  • Project Period: 7/1/2023 - 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Landon Loyd
  • Email: landon.loyd@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Education, administered by the Colorado Career & Technical Education and the Colorado Community College System

The purpose of this grant is to provide students with the academic and technical skills needed to succeed in a knowledge and skills-based economy.  Perkins funding elevates the quality of Aims CTE programs to support each learner's skill development and meet industry needs by keeping equipment up-to-date and ahead of industry standards when possible; prepare Colorado's future workforce through transformation partnerships by enhancing Career Academy offerings and capacity with the needed equipment/tools/technology; and ensure access to meaningful work-based learning opportunities.

The Skill Advance Colorado Job Training Grant (formerly the Colorado First and Existing Industry Grant) helps businesses and nonprofits create customized job training for employees.

This training:

  • develops Colorado’s workforce
  • builds workers’ transferable skills
  • improves workers’ resumes and long-term employment opportunities
  • helps Colorado businesses remain competitive

The funds are broken down into Colorado First funds and Existing Industry funds. Colorado First grant funds customized training only for net new hires at companies relocating to or expanding in Colorado. Existing Industry grant funds customized training to help established Colorado companies and nonprofits remain competitive in their industry, adapt to new technology, and prevent layoffs.

  • Amount: $57,205.34
  • Project Period: 12/19/2023 - 5/18/2024
  • Contact Person: Nicholas Spezza
  • Email: nicholas.spezza@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Community College System

Current Skill Advance Grant Partnerships:

  • Breeze Thru Car Wash, Ft. Collins, Colorado (Existing Industry Grant)
  • Lightning eMotors, Loveland, CO (Existing Industry Grant)

 

 

  • Amount: $75,000
  • Project Period: 2/15/2023 - 2/14/2027
  • Contact Person: Erica Jones
  • Email: erica.jones@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: The Colorado Health Foundation

This grant empowers campus communities to strengthen their overall efforts to address student mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention. Funding will bring JED campus programming to all four of Aims Community College’s campuses.

 

  • Amount: $1,375,525
  • Project Period: 9/01/2020 - 8/31/2025
  • Contact Person: Bernadette Cordova
  • Email: bernadette.cordova@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education

The objectives of the program are to increase the retention, graduation and transfer rates of 160 eligible students, and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of low-income and first-generation students and students with disabilities.

  • Amount: $1,309,440
  • Project Period: 9/01/2020 - 8/31/2025
  • Contact Person: Bernadette Cordova
  • Email: bernadette.cordova@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education

The objectives of the program are to increase the retention, graduation and transfer rates of 120 eligible students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM disciplines), and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success in STEM of low–income and first-generation college students and students with disabilities. 

Current Grant Collaborations

  • Project Period: 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Ray Chard
  • Email: ray.chard@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Education

The purpose of the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation (CEEI) Grant Program is to provide grants to partnering local education providers and institutions of higher education to expand and innovate concurrent enrollment opportunities to qualified students.  Aims is currently partnering with Weld RE3J. 

  • Project Period: 10/01/2019 - 06/30/2024
  • Contact Person: Julie Luekenga
  • Email: julie.luekenga@aims.edu 
  • Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education

The purpose of this grant is to provide migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family a high quality instructional program that will allow them to attain their High School Equivalency diploma.  This is a partnership grant. The lead is University of Colorado Boulder, BUENO Center.

  • Project Period: 7/1/2020 - 6/30/2026
  • Contact Person: Ray Chard
  • Email: ray.chard@aims.edu
  • Funding Agency: Colorado Department of Education

The P-TECH grant is an innovative partnership between the Greeley-Evans School District and Aims Community College, designed to promote advanced manufacturing concurrent enrollment programs.