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Higher Education Innovation


As Utah’s flagship research institution, the University of Utah plays an instrumental role in the entrepreneurial and economic well-being of the state. The U has a long history of being at the forefront of innovation in a wide-range of fields that include business, bioengineering, health care and computer science. Our path-breaking research is the result of world-class faculty working in collaboration with staff, students and the community, and supported by access to first-rate facilities. The U values interdisciplinary partnerships that reflect diverse perspectives and voices from throughout our campus, the state and the world.  As we strive to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students, we see timely completion as our most urgent obligation while ensuring access to higher education remains a priority. Tactics guiding this initiative include innovative models of financial assistance, college-to-career investments and use of data analytics to guide students on their academic pathway.

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THE COLLEGE COMPLETION SUMMIT

The College Completion Summit is an invitation-only event that will bring together presidents and senior leaders from public universities that have significantly advanced their college completion rates. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, share best practices and develop actionable strategies for increasing college completion.

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ALLIANCE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM

The U’s 2019 American Dream Ideas Challenge aims to find, fund and develop policy, technology and investable innovations that have the potential to increase net income by 10 percent for 10,000 Utah households by the end of 2022.
We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary solutions in the areas of housing, education, workforce development, transportation, health care and family support, such as child and elderly care.
Participants with the most compelling ideas will receive a total of $10,000 to $40,000 in funding from the University of Utah to research and develop their proposals. The top proposal will be eligible for up to $1 million from Schmidt Futures to implement the idea.

Accepting proposals through November 15, 2019

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PAY TODAY’S TUITION WITH TOMORROW’S SUCCESS.

Through Invest in U, the University of Utah is investing in our students’ success, recognizing that many students start and stop their educations based on finances, prolonging the time it takes to graduate and delaying earning potential. Invest in U is a pilot program that offers income share agreements as an innovative, flexible way for students to finance their educations. Students within one year of graduating in select majors have access to $3,000 to $10,000. Payments go back into the Invest in U Fund to perpetuate and fund the success of future students.

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