SUNY Westchester Community College has received a $306,514 grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program. The funding expands support for low-income students, first-generation students, and students with disabilities – aiming to improve retention, graduation, and transfer rates.
This award continues SUNY WCC’s 25-year commitment to TRIO SSS. Since 2000, the program has served more than 1,000 students, helping them stay enrolled, complete degrees, and build meaningful careers.
SUNY WCC TRIO provides individualized services such as academic tutoring, financial aid and scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring. SUNY WCC TRIO empowers students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports significantly increase the likelihood that students will graduate or transfer to a four-year college, with reduced debt. “This grant allows SUNY Westchester Community College to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can thrive academically and personally,” said Dr. Belinda Miles, President of SUNY WCC. “SUNY WCC TRIO is a key contributor to the doubling of our graduation rate as we prioritize student success and completion.”
Nationally, the TRIO SSS program has a proven track record. A rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education found that students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year institution compared to peers not in the program. At four-year institutions, SSS students were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“TRIO programs generally and TRIO SSS, in particular, transforms students from the least resourced backgrounds into college graduates,” said Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, D.C. “This vital program makes all the difference for nearly a million students each year across the country.”
SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 which aim to remove social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. Since its inception in 1968, SSS has helped millions of low-income, first-generation students graduate from college and contribute to their communities and the economy.
Notable alumni of the TRIO Student Support Services program include Michael Cashman, Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, NY; former NASA astronaut José Hernández; and Cheryl Johnson, 36th Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
For more information about TRIO Student Support Services at SUNY Westchester Community College, visit www.sunywcc.edu/trio or contact Paola Liriano at paola.liriano@sunywcc.edu.
