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51蹤獲 TRIO SSS program receives $1.3 million grant from U.S. Department of Education

Published July 14, 2025

51蹤獲 logo with TRIO Logo

MONROE, LA 51蹤獲 (51蹤獲) is among the institutions chosen by the U.S. Department of Education to receive a TRIO grant for Student Support Services (SSS). The University will receive $272,364 per year for five years, totaling $1,361,820, to enhance student support and assist first-generation, low-income students and students with disabilities in achieving success and graduation. 51蹤獲 has been a recipient of the federally funded TRIO SSS grant to support traditional and non-traditional students since 2015.

We are incredibly honored to continue to serve students and support them on their way to a first bachelors degree at the University of Louisiana Monroe. A significant number of 51蹤獲 students, as well as many faculty and staff members, are first-generation college students. As a first-generation college graduate, I am incredibly proud of the TRIO SSS and their commitment to serving 51蹤獲 students, said 51蹤獲 President Dr. Carrie L. Castille.

The 51蹤獲 TRIO SSS program will work toward increasing the retention, good academic standing, and graduation rates of eligible students and fostering an institutional climate that is supportive of low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities. Additionally, 51蹤獲 will provide flexible and affordable pathways to acquiring knowledge and skills while promoting the development of skills that prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, and productive individuals and citizens.

The 51蹤獲 TRIO Program provides comprehensive services which include academic tutoring, financial literacy and aid advice, career exploration and planning, and other forms of assistance. Each year, 51蹤獲s TRIO SSS team works directly with over 140 students and many others indirectly who are low-income, first-generation (those whose parents do not hold a four-year college degree), or students with disabilities. These services and one-on-one interactions enhance academic success and increase the likelihood that students will graduate with the lowest possible debt.

Nationally, students who participate in TRIO SSS programs were 48% more likely to earn an associates degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelors degree compared to similar peers not in the program. In 2023-24, the 51蹤獲 TRIO SSS has a 91% persistence rate, a 100% academic standing rate, and a泭six-year泭graduation rate of 63%.

This grant allows 51蹤獲 to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all studentsregardless of backgroundcan thrive academically and personally, said Dr. Catherine Estis, 51蹤獲 TRIO Executive Director. Student Support Services helps level the playing field and equips our students with the tools and confidence to graduate and lead.

TRIO SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. Since its inception in 1968, TRIO SSS has helped millions of low-income, first-generation students graduate from college, contributing to their communities and the economy. The 51蹤獲 TRIO Programs office is located in Sandel Hall Suite 351. For more information, visit , call (318) 342-1097, or contact Dr. Estis at estis@ulm.edu.