First-generation, low-income and disabled students will continue to receive the support services they need to ensure academic success at California State University, Stanislaus, thanks to a $368,056 grant from the United States Department of Education’s TRIO Student Support Services Program
According to Student Support Services Director Jacquelyn Forté, this is not the first time that CSU Stanislaus has received this grant as the University has been awarding this funding from the program for nearly half a decade.
“I am thankful to say that we have been awarded this particular grant since the 1970s,” said Forté. “We serve first generation low-income students, so we are always excited that this grant is an opportunity to provide services to help those students be successful.”
Among other uses, successful projects funded through these grants provide students with academic tutoring, assistance in course selection, information about financial aid and economic literacy, and support and resources to help students transfer from two-year to four-year colleges or from undergraduate to graduate or professional studies.
Funds at CSU Stanislaus will go towards providing academic advising, which will help students better understand degree requirements and how to best organize their time to make sure they have a good college experience.
Additionally, this grant will help pay for additional tutoring services, peer mentoring, skill enhancement workshops, computer labs that allow students to complete and print their assignments for free, and a writing specialist.
“This person will help them improve their writing and feel more comfortable with their writing,” said Forté. “They will also help them prepare for the Writing Proficiency Screening Test, which is mandatory for all students that graduate from the CSU.”
Funds will also provide small scholarships for qualifying students; however, only students that are already participating in the Student Support Services Program can apply.
“Overall, we think this is a wonderful opportunity for the institution to be able to provide wonderful services for students so they can graduate in a timely manner, while at the same time improve their academic performance,” said Forté.
CSU Stanislaus was one of 20 California State University campuses to receive a total of $8,067,854 from the United States Department of Education’s TRIO Student Support Services Program to provide first-generation, low-income, veteran and disabled students with the support services they need in order to succeed in college.
The U.S. Department of education awarded more than $270 million this year in TRIO Student Support Grants to 968 higher education institutions in the nation. The CSU system received 27 of the 96 grants awarded to colleges and universities in California.
“Every student has the right to an equal opportunity to learn and succeed in college,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These grants provide critical support to students who can benefit from extra help and encouragement along their college journey, enabling them to reach their personal goals and contribute to the economic vitality of our nation.”
