Western Kentucky University receives U.S. Department of Education grant for student support services
The university’s Student Support Services (SSS) program has received $1.8 million and the Student Support Services Disabilities (SSSD) program has received $1.36 million for the next five years.
The US Department of Education has awarded Western Kentucky University more than $3 million for its TRIO Student Support Services programs. The funding will be allocated over the next five years as $1.8 million for the Student Support Services (SSS) program and $1.36 million for the Student Support Services Disabilities (SSSD) program. These programs will support more than 300 students each year.
According to an article on Western Kentucky University’s website, Dr. Brian Brausch, who serves as the Executive Director of WKU’s TRIO Programs, was quoted as saying of the new funding, “Since 1980, TRIO programs at WKU have served as lifelines for students who may not otherwise see higher education as a possibility. This renewed funding ensures that first-generation, income-eligible, and students with disabilities will continue receiving the resources, mentorship, and encouragement needed to graduate and pursue meaningful careers.”
The federally-funded TRIO programs are programs that help ensure students who are first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, or students with disabilities, have the resources and programming they need to become successful in college. Among the services provided by these programs are academic advising, tutoring, mentorships, guidance for financial aid, and preparation for graduate school. TRIO programs include Talent Search, Upward Bound, Veterans Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Educational Opportunity Centers.
One student who found success through her participation in the Student Support Services program and TRIO Talent Search is Shwe Win, a first-generation college student who recently graduated with a Master of Public Health and a certificate in Epidemiology. She is now an Emory Rollins Followship Program Epidemiologist.
Speaking of her experience in the program, Win said, “I am a living testament to the power of TRIO programs. I had no roadmap to college and no example to follow, but TRIO changed that. From tutoring and mentorship to graduate school preparation, TRIO gave me the tools and the confidence to succeed. I am the proof that these programs work.”
For more information about Western Kentucky University, visit the school’s website.