UWs Student Success Services TRIO Program Receives Five

A program offered through the University of Wyoming that helps students prepare for college life and careers after graduation has received federal funding for the next five years.

The Student Success Services (SSS) program, housed in the UW Department of Student Educational Opportunity (SEO), has received a five-year TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The $374,167 yearly grant was awarded to UW from among 1,476 proposals submitted nationwide in a competitive, discretionary grant competition.

“Obtaining continued funding to support the SSS project at UW for another five years speaks to the ongoing effectiveness of SSS in assisting participants to persist and graduate from UW,” says Michael Wade, SEO associate director. “SEO is proud of the holistic support SSS provides to 230 first-generation, income-eligible students and students with disabilities at UW each year and looks forward to contributing to UW’s retention efforts going forward.”

SSS provides individual advising services to support participants’ academic, financial, major/career and personal successes at UW. The program’s goal is to increase the “persistence, good academic standing and graduation rates of its participants.”

According to the most recent SSS data, participants are 15 percent more likely to finish their first year of college in good academic standing; 18 percent are more likely to persist in college at all levels; and 21 percent are more likely to graduate within six years than students who would be eligible for the program, but who do not access services.

TRIO programs are federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and serve individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO programs are targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate degree programs.

For more information, or to apply to the SSS program, visit www.uwyo.edu/seo/sss, call (307) 766-6189, or visit the office in Room 330 of Knight Hall.