Federal grant will boost student retention and graduation at Madonna University
LIVONIA, MICH. – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Madonna University a federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant totaling $1.3 million to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
This award marks the continuation of 47 years of TRIO SSS services at Madonna University. Since 1978, the program has served thousands of students, helping them stay in school, earn degrees, and build meaningful careers.
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO SSS empowers students to 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.
“The TRIO SSS program is woven into the fabric of Madonna University’s exceptional history and tradition of meeting our students’ needs and promoting opportunity for student achievement and success,” said Madonna University President Christopher Dougherty, Ph.D. “For students enrolled in the program, we are able to provide a comprehensive range of services to help them thrive academically and personally. I am grateful to the TRIO SSS team at Madonna for all they do!”
Nationally, the SSS program has a proven track record. According to a rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48 percent more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18 percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar 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.”
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. Notable alumni of the TRIO Student Support Services program include Michael Cashman, Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, NY; 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 Madonna University, visit TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) or contact trio@madonna.edu.
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.
TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college and tutoring; personal, financial, and career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; and academic assistance in high school or assistance to reenter high school or college.
