College of Education (COE)
COE Awarded $925K to Strengthen Vocational Rehabilitation Workforce
MEMPHIS, Tenn. 鈥� 榴莲直播 College of Education (COE) has been awarded a five-year, $925,657 Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Grant by the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 (ED) Rehabilitation Services Administration. The grant supports COE鈥檚 graduate program in Vocational Rehabilitation, which enhances employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities by increasing the number of professionals with master鈥檚 degrees in rehabilitation counseling.
Led by Dr. Steve Zanskas (principal investigator) and Dr. Pam Cogdal (co-principal investigator), the initiative builds on a longstanding partnership with the Tennessee Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, which began in 1971 as a work-study program.
The grant from ED focuses on supporting bachelor鈥檚-level staff across Tennessee who are already employed in vocational rehabilitation roles, providing tuition coverage and student stipends as they complete a master鈥檚 degree through the University of Memphis. COE鈥檚 Vocational Rehabilitation program, which was once a 48-hour graduate-level program, has been redesigned into a 30-hour program and is offered fully online through UMGlobal, able to be completed part-time in just two years.
鈥淭his grant represents our continued commitment to strengthening the rehabilitation counseling workforce across the state,鈥� said Dr. Zanskas, professor and associate dean of the College of Education. 鈥淏y preparing highly qualified professionals dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities, we鈥檙e advancing opportunities for meaningful employment and independent living.鈥�
The award reinforces the University of Memphis鈥� mission to advancing, access, and opportunity through research, education and community partnership.