The school says that in the past decade, students studying community needs have handed out $450,000 to nonprofits in the form of small grants.

Private donors provide most of the funding. Students distributed $30,000 in grants in the last academic year.

NKU's Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement has published a 70-page handbook for faculty at other universities who want to start a similar program.

The school says in a news release that the initial printing of 500 copies is already almost gone.