Building academic bridges and having social support at Salt Lake Community College is only a few of the many things TRIO/Student Support Services offers to its member students.
According to the Council for Opportunity in Education website, “TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree. Over 850,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities — from sixth grade through college graduation — are served by more than 2,800 programs nationally.”
“[TRIO is designed] to help students to reach their personal and academic goals,” TRIO advisor Julie Jackman said. “TRIO is funded to serve 200 students [at SLCC].”
Jackman said all TRIO students receive adequate help when needed.
“I like the atmosphere here. Everyone is so friendly. It’s just like a family,” SLCC student and TRIO member Samantha Archuleta said.
Being friendly and having a family like atmosphere is what TRIO strives for.
“We have fabulous potlucks, and we get to hang out with a lot of members and socialize,” SLCC student and TRIO member Maria Medina said.
“Students do better and stay in school more when they are more connected to the campus in some way,” Jackman said, explaining why the program strives for strong social support. The program helps its students by motivating them and providing academic support.
TRIO is a flexible academic program that serves a diverse group of students with different needs. It assists its students by helping them find the right career, build an academic plan and provide tutoring when necessary. TRIO encourages and helps its members apply for scholarships and financial aid and provides mentoring.
Borrowing books is another popular service utilized by TRIO students. TRIO lends books to its members in order to help them save money.
They also take members to surrounding universities to introduce them to the different campuses and institutions.
“[This helps the TRIO members] to start building bridges with other institutions,” Jackman said.
“So the student knows other sources and can have a support network at the institution when they move on to it.”
In order to be part of TRIO, a student must fill out an application and meet with one of the TRIO advisors before eligibility can be determined. The student who is applying must be a first generation student, meet a low-income guideline, which is defined by the federal government, and be a US citizen or permanent resident. Additionally, the student has to be planning a transfer to a four-year institution.
“I think [TRIO] is a fabulous program. It’s like, when you need help they are there,” Medina said.
For more information on TRIO, visit the office in person at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus Portable Office number three or by telephone at (801) 957-4089. Or, send an email to SSS.Trio@slcc.edu.