Riverhawks rising: expanding opportunities for postsecondary success and employment

Northeastern State University received a $373,946 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education under the Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities into Higher Education program (CFDA 84.407), awarded October 1, 2025, with completion scheduled for September 30, 2026. The RIVERHAWKS RISING program is designed to create a comprehensive transition and postsecondary model program that facilitates the successful integration of students with intellectual disabilities into higher education. The program will operate from the university's Tahlequah, Oklahoma campus and represents part of a broader federal initiative supporting institutions of higher education in developing inclusive, high-quality transition services that prepare students with intellectual disabilities for postsecondary success and employment.

As a federally designated minority-serving institution and Native American-serving non-tribal institution, Northeastern State University is well-positioned to deliver this programming to its student population, which comprises over 66 percent low-income and underrepresented students, predominantly from rural Oklahoma. The award aligns with the Department of Education's programmatic priorities of equitable geographic distribution, serving underserved areas, and promoting partnerships that support students with intellectual disabilities through transition programming. The five-year grant program framework supports model demonstration activities designed to generate evidence-based practices that can be replicated across higher education institutions nationally.