The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of Georgia a federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant totaling more than $2.7 million to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
This award marks the continuation of nine years of TRIO SSS services at UGA. Since 2016, the program, housed in the Office for Student Success and Achievement (OSSA), has helped students stay in school, earn degrees, and build meaningful careers.
“This renewed funding ensures that we can continue providing transformational support for students who often face the greatest challenges in higher education,” said Sherontae Maxell, assistant director for access at OSSA. “TRIO SSS is more than a program — it’s a pathway to opportunity, achievement, and long-term success. We are proud to play a role in helping students persist, graduate, and realize their full potential.”
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO SSS helps students overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports make it significantly more likely that students will complete their degree or successfully transfer with the lowest possible debt. According to a 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar peers not in the program.
“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 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. For more information about TRIO Student Support Services at UGA, visit ossa.uga.edu or contact Lastasia Ramsey.
About OSSA
The University of Georgia’s Office for Student Success and Achievement, a unit of the Office of Instruction, supports students throughout their academic journey by providing free peer tutoring, academic coaching, targeted support for rural and first-generation students, instructional programs and more. For more information, visit ossa.uga.edu.
