ST. PAUL, Minn., July 16, 2015 - For the first time, Saint Paul College received the highly sought after TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The award of $1.1 million will fund five years of comprehensive support for a cohort of 140 nontraditional students, ages 25 and older, per year, who are low-income, first generation and/or students with a disability.

On Tuesday, July 14, 2015, the U.S. Department of Education awarded 906 grants to institutions of higher education across the nation. Saint Paul College is one of only six funded institutions in Minnesota launching new TRIO SSS programs. The grant is attained through a highly competitive process that awards preference points to previously funded institutions.

"The TRIO SSS grant provides hope and promise for adults of our community returning to school, who might not otherwise succeed in post-secondary education,” said Saint Paul College President, Rassoul Dastmozd. He continued, "This program is a wonderful opportunity for our students, the future of Minnesota.”

TRIO SSS students receive academic advising and tutoring, monitoring of progress, and support services to help ensure they complete their academic program. Students also participate in a comprehensive pre-college summer program, a Study Skills/College Success Strategies class, intensive tutoring and workshops about financial literacy. Cultural activities will build group and peer support, along with a sense of belonging to the College.

More information to come soon from Saint Paul College on the application process.

For more information TRIO Student Support Services grant, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html. ​