CLC awarded five-year, $1.176 million TRIO grant

Central Lakes College’s TRIO Student Support Services was awarded a five-year, $1.176 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The award will fund CLC’s TRIO Student Support Services at $235,235 per year during the five-year grant period.

Charles Black Lance, director of TRIO Programs at CLC, said the grant is vital to providing needed programs at the college.

“Last year alone we had 75 students in our programs graduate or transfer. That’s significant in terms of success,” he said. “It’s also about accessibility. Students aren’t just coming to college, but they’re also able to be successful.”

Some of the programs supported through TRIO are:

• Student Support Services (SSS), which works to increase the retention and graduation rate of students by offering academic, social and personal support. Services include assistance with securing financial aid; personal, academic and career advisement; assistance with transition to four-year programs from two-year institutions.
• The Upward Bound (UB) Program, which provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves: high school students from low-income families; and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.

CLC has three TRIO Programs, Student Support Services and two Upward Bound programs. Student Support Services serves 180 low income, first generation and/or disabled CLC students each academic year.

 About the grant:

CLC’s TRIO program is one of 968 funded projects in the U.S. Department of Education’s 2015 Student Support Services competition from a total of 1,476 proposals. The competition is providing a total of $270 million to fund projects focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, veterans, English as a Second Language, teacher preparation and students with disabilities. Competitions for the five-year grant program are held every four years.

About the U.S. Department of Education TRiO Student Support Services Program:

Through a grant competition, The U.S. Department of Education awards funds to higher education institutions to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education. Student Support Services projects also may provide grant aid to current participants who are receiving federal Pell Grants. The goal of the program is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants.

Learn more about TRIO at CLC:

Online: www.clcmn.edu/trio-student-support-services-2/

Phone: 218-855-8045