Brescia University has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education — the largest grant in the school’s history. It will be paid over a period of five years. Rev. Larry Hostetter, Brescia president, said yesterday that over half of the grant will be used to support improved retention and graduation rates; much of the rest will help fund the $7 million Signature Building slated to be built at Ninth and Frederica in 2017.