Lloyd Shisler
Staff Writer

College is tough, both financially and academically. There are many programs and grants to assist students with some of these challenges.

One program that is at Pierce is the TRiO Student Support Services [SSS]. This program is designed to provide educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstance.

TRiO started in 1965 with the Higher Education Act and was implemented by Congress towards the war on poverty.

There were only three programs that first started when TRiO was created; SSS, Talent Search, and Upward Bound. In 2008 Congress had broadened the Higher Education Act with the criteria that defined who was eligible for TRiO.

Students must meet one of the following requirements when applying to TRiO; having a low income, being a first generation student, and having a documented disability. TRiO was created to help low income first generation students. A first generation student is a student whose parents have not attended college.

There are eight programs that fall under TRiO. SSS is the only program offered by Pierce. SSS offers many options for students, providing academic tutoring, which may include instruction in reading, writing, study skills, mathematics, science, and many other subjects. Advice and assistance is given in post-secondary course selection.

TRiO offers a free, five-credit class to help students with testing, note-taking skills, time and money management. Students can receive guidance in choosing a major and support from fellow TRiO students. TRiO offers its students access to a math book and calculator loan programs and a pre-fall math review class, and links MATH 60 to its COLLG 107 course.

SSS assists students with information on the full range of student financial aid programs, benefits, and recourses for locating public and private scholarships. Help is offered in completing financial applications.

TRiO advisors provide students a one-on-one advising and personalized education plan. Also, TRiO provides peer mentoring, early alerts, and additional support to struggling students, organizes cultural and family activities, and hosts a celebration at the end of each year.

Pierce tried applying for the upward bound veterans program offered by TRiO. However, the school was denied the request.  Since TRiO is federally funded, the school has to re- apply every five years for funding. The program awards about a grand to ten people every spring quarter to help toward the student’s college education.

Terry Green is the Faculty Counselor Advisor for TRiO.  He has been  helping students for many years now. Green helps and mentors TRiO students for their full two years at Pierce. Green helps TRiO students with their four-year transfer to another college or university. He and the TRiO staff advise and offer personalized assistance for students on an ongoing basis throughout their college career.

Green really enjoys his job. He finds it rewarding when it comes to helping students. Green mentioned that many students that have been through TRiO. “Ten of our last student presidents have been TRiO students.”

Green shared advice to students, saying, “If you think you might be eligible for our free services, come on over to TRiO in the back of the welcome center for more information and to fill out an application.”

Christina Brewer is a prior TRiO student and currently works at TRiO here at Pierce. Brewer found the program to be very helpful. She needed the money while she was a college student. TRiO had helped with scholar assistance and to see the bigger “picture.” She learned not to limit herself and to look at all the options available when it came to continuing her education. The program helped with figuring out what schools met her needs and helped her along her education journey. TRiO also helped Brewer with applying to every college she was interested in and even helped waive the application fees when applying to schools.

Brewer had this to say to students: “TRiO kind of acts like a parent in a good way. When your parents don’t know how to guide you through the college process, TRiO steps in and fills that gap so that they can help see you through to the finish line and beyond.”

If you would like to know more about TRiO and if you’re eligible, then head out to the TRiO office for more information and improve the way you learn.