The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Kilgore College a $1.4 million federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant to help improve retention and graduation rates among low-income students, first-generation college students and students with disabilities.
The $1,426,860 grant will fund KC’s TRIO SSS program for the next five years and marks the continuation of 24 years of service at the college. Since 2001, the program has supported more than 2,200 students, helping them stay enrolled, earn degrees and pursue meaningful careers.
Through individualized services such as academic tutoring, financial aid and scholarship guidance, career exploration, mentoring, and personal and academic counseling, the program empowers students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive services significantly increase the likelihood that students will complete their degrees or successfully transfer—with minimal debt.
“This grant underscores Kilgore College’s enduring commitment to advancing access and opportunity in higher education,” said Dr. Brenda Kays, KC president. “Student Support Services plays a critical role in addressing barriers, providing comprehensive support that empowers students to persist and graduate.”
The TRIO SSS program has a proven national track record. According to a 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year colleges were 48% more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year institution. At four-year schools, students were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to peers not in the program.
“TRIO programs generally—and TRIO SSS, in particular—transform 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.”
Student Support Services is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Since its launch in 1968, SSS has helped millions of students overcome social, academic and cultural barriers to college graduation and become contributors to their communities and the economy.
Notable alumni of TRIO SSS include Michael Cashman, town supervisor of Plattsburgh, New York; 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 KC, visit www.kilgore.edu/trio.
About the Federal TRIO Programs:
TRIO programs—Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Veterans Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program—help students overcome academic, economic and social barriers to higher education. Services include tutoring; help selecting and applying to college; personal, financial and career counseling; assistance applying for financial aid; college and workplace visits; and instruction in reading, writing, math and study skills.