Participants in Kent State's Student Support Services
program take a selfie atop Mount Washington after riding
the Duquesne Incline to a city skyline overlook during an
overnight graduate school and cultural immersion trip to
Pittsburgh.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Kent State University a $2.2 million five-year TRIO Student Support Services program grant. TRIO programs provide opportunities for personal and academic development to students with low incomes or disabilities or who are the first in their family to attend college.

“We are extremely grateful to have received this level of federal funding,” says Brent Robinson, director of Student Support Services. “Student Support Services at Kent State is proud to continue empowering underrepresented students to excel in college and beyond.”

Kent State will use the grant to implement a TRIO Student Support Services project from 2015 through 2020 that will serve 300 students annually through peer tutoring and mentorship, academic and professional workshops, academic advising, graduate school preparation, financial literacy instruction and social and cultural immersion experiences. These intensive academic and personal interventions will help to increase persistence and the graduation rate among participants.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says he sees great value in programs like TRIO Student Support Services because they present students with the tools they need to pursue a degree in higher education.

“Education is the key to providing all Ohioans the opportunity for success,” Brown says. “But there are many students who could benefit from additional academic tutoring and help navigating financial aid and scholarships. This funding will help ensure that all students have access to the supportive services they need to succeed in college.”

Along with Kent State, Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, and Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio, were also awarded grants for their Student Support Service programs.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, also in a statement, says he understands the importance of programs, such as the TRIO Student Support Services, and believes the grants will create equal educational opportunities for all students and prepare them for future professional employment.

Participants in Kent State's Student Support Services
program pose in front of the Cathedral of Learning at the
University of Pittsburgh where they were able to explore
Nationality Rooms representing various cultures from all
over the world.

“I applaud Kent State, Eastern Gateway and Stark State for securing this important funding, and I am happy that this investment will go to such a good cause,” Ryan says. “Through this grant, low-income, underserved students participating in these programs will receive the hand-up they need to be successful at their college or university and in their careers after graduation. Everyone deserves the opportunity to a higher education, no matter their gender, race, income or background.”

The Student Support Services program is one of several federal TRIO programs that began as part of the Educational Opportunity Act of 1964. These programs were established as part of former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Kent State’s TRIO Student Support Services’ program has been providing students with opportunities for academic success for nearly 40 years, after first receiving funding in 1978.

The program fosters academic and personal growth through tutoring sessions, academic and professional workshops, graduate school preparation and visits, as well as social and cultural immersion experiences. Using a holistic approach, TRIO Student Support Services creates a safe and reliable space for students to embrace their unique stories, overcome academic challenges and succeed in college and beyond.

For more information about Kent State’s TRIO Student Support Services program, including eligibility requirements, visit www.kent.edu/asc/trio-sss.