Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College receives TRIO Student Support Services funding
The college has received $1.75 million from the US Department of Education to support the TRIO Student Support Services program.
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has received a grant from the US Department of Education in the amount of $1.75 million to continue providing students with the TRIO Student Support Services program, which the college has been offering since 1972. The program gives extra support to students who come from low-income backgrounds, those with disabilities, and those who are first-generation college students to help ensure their college success.
According to an article on Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s website, Dr. Deborah Hodge, who serves as the college’s director of SSS and Academic Advantage, was quoted as saying, “This grant allows Southeast to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can thrive academically and personally. Student Support Services helps level the playing field and equips our students with the tools and confidence to graduate and lead.”
Working alongside Dr. Hodge to provide the TRIO services to students are Rosali Brock and Nick Blair. The team provides students with academic counseling, personal counseling, financial aid and scholarship help, mentoring, and career exploration to help them stay on track and succeed in their college journey.
The goal of the program is to retain students and help them prepare to earn a college degree and enter into a sustainable career. Since the program was established in 1972, the program has served more than 7,420 students on Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s campus.
Kimberly Jones, who is the president of the Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, D.C, said of the success of TRIO programs around the country, “TRIO programs generally and TRIO SSS, in particular, transforms students from the least resourced backgrounds into college graduates. This vital program makes all the difference for nearly a million students each year across the country.”
For more information about Southeast Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.