Long Beach State To Receive NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program Grant For Second Straight Season
9/8/2025 11:54:00 AM | General
Five specific areas targeting academic and holistic needs for Long Beach State student-athletes will be targeted by the grant.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State has once again been selected as one of an exclusive group of institutions to receive an NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program Grant, providing $100,000 in grant money along with $20,000 in matching institutional funds in support of academic and holistic support for Long Beach State's nearly 350 individual student-athletes.
The 2025-26 AASP grant has been focused on support in five areas: fueling station infrastructure, technology and laptop access, BeAChampion career and life readiness programming, academic supplies, and mental health and leadership development.
"I'm excited to build on the momentum we've created and continue advancing resources that not only fuel our student-athletes' academic success today but also strengthen their leadership and readiness for the future," said Senior Associate Athletics Director Tiffany Edlin. "This support allows us to invest in their growth in ways that will have a lasting impact long after they leave the Beach."
Nutrition needs for our student-athletes continue to be a top priority, and additional funding will allow the Long Beach State fueling station to provide additional options in support of health and performance for all teams at the Beach. That will be complemented by tools and cookbooks to help support self-sufficiency towards a healthy lifestyle that creates an impact even after their time at Long Beach State.
Additional support towards the Bickerstaff Academic Center will be made in the expansion of the Technology Access and Academic Tools loaner program for underserved student-athletes, as well as the ability to provide educational tools such as planners and journals in support of academics.
The BeAChampion program at Long Beach State University is a comprehensive four-year development initiative designed to ensure student-athletes are holistically supported throughout their time at LBSU. The program focuses on enhancing life skills, career readiness, and overall well-being through a series of structured courses and activities tailored to each academic year. Funding for branded course kits and textbooks for the program will now be provided for participants in the class thanks to the grant.
Finally, Long Beach State will continue to be able to provide travel, lodging and registration support for student-athletes to attend leadership institutes, career expos, NCAA opportunities, and mental health and wellness education clinics.
Established in 2012, the NCAA AASP program awards over $1 million annually to Division I colleges and universities that meet grant qualifications for the support of their academic initiatives to help increase the graduation rates of student-athletes. The AASP grants are an example of how the NCAA and its member schools invest in academic support and success of student-athletes.
A selection committee composed of representatives from past AASP NCAA member colleges and universities reviews the grant applications and awards the funding annually. To be eligible for AASP grants, schools must be identified as having limited resources based on research data and must either be in the Football Championship Subdivision or not sponsor a football program. Schools may request up to $100,000 and are required to match at least 20% of the awarded amount.
Long Beach State also received the grant money in 2024 which went into multiple areas supporting initiatives aimed at student-athlete development and academics.
The majority of expenditures went to upgrades of the Bickerstaff Academic Center, Long Beach State's academic support home, which received a significant renovation in addition to improved technological and learning environment upgrades.
Long Beach State's BeAChampion programs also got a significant boost, helping to support the curriculum development for ATHL-201 and ATHL-301 courses, completing development of a four-year cycle for the program aimed at providing student-athletes structured support through their entire careers at Long Beach State.
The 2025-26 AASP grant has been focused on support in five areas: fueling station infrastructure, technology and laptop access, BeAChampion career and life readiness programming, academic supplies, and mental health and leadership development.
"I'm excited to build on the momentum we've created and continue advancing resources that not only fuel our student-athletes' academic success today but also strengthen their leadership and readiness for the future," said Senior Associate Athletics Director Tiffany Edlin. "This support allows us to invest in their growth in ways that will have a lasting impact long after they leave the Beach."
Nutrition needs for our student-athletes continue to be a top priority, and additional funding will allow the Long Beach State fueling station to provide additional options in support of health and performance for all teams at the Beach. That will be complemented by tools and cookbooks to help support self-sufficiency towards a healthy lifestyle that creates an impact even after their time at Long Beach State.
Additional support towards the Bickerstaff Academic Center will be made in the expansion of the Technology Access and Academic Tools loaner program for underserved student-athletes, as well as the ability to provide educational tools such as planners and journals in support of academics.
The BeAChampion program at Long Beach State University is a comprehensive four-year development initiative designed to ensure student-athletes are holistically supported throughout their time at LBSU. The program focuses on enhancing life skills, career readiness, and overall well-being through a series of structured courses and activities tailored to each academic year. Funding for branded course kits and textbooks for the program will now be provided for participants in the class thanks to the grant.
Finally, Long Beach State will continue to be able to provide travel, lodging and registration support for student-athletes to attend leadership institutes, career expos, NCAA opportunities, and mental health and wellness education clinics.
Established in 2012, the NCAA AASP program awards over $1 million annually to Division I colleges and universities that meet grant qualifications for the support of their academic initiatives to help increase the graduation rates of student-athletes. The AASP grants are an example of how the NCAA and its member schools invest in academic support and success of student-athletes.
A selection committee composed of representatives from past AASP NCAA member colleges and universities reviews the grant applications and awards the funding annually. To be eligible for AASP grants, schools must be identified as having limited resources based on research data and must either be in the Football Championship Subdivision or not sponsor a football program. Schools may request up to $100,000 and are required to match at least 20% of the awarded amount.
Long Beach State also received the grant money in 2024 which went into multiple areas supporting initiatives aimed at student-athlete development and academics.
The majority of expenditures went to upgrades of the Bickerstaff Academic Center, Long Beach State's academic support home, which received a significant renovation in addition to improved technological and learning environment upgrades.
Long Beach State's BeAChampion programs also got a significant boost, helping to support the curriculum development for ATHL-201 and ATHL-301 courses, completing development of a four-year cycle for the program aimed at providing student-athletes structured support through their entire careers at Long Beach State.
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