Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Wendy Harrison

FRANKLIN

Paul D. Camp Community College has recently been awarded a five-year federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The amount of $306,726 will fund the federal TRIO program, Student Support Services (SSS), which is focused on helping students succeed and graduate from college.

“Student Support Services has been part of Camp Community College for over 30 years,” said SSS Director Hyler Scott. “Annually, we serve more than 150 students, with over 20 students graduating and transferring to senior institutions.”

SSS helps college students who are low income, first generation (those whose parents do not have a four-year college degree) or students with disabilities. The array of services the grant will provide are comprehensive and will include academic tutoring, financial aid advice, career and college mentoring, help in choosing courses, and other forms of assistance.

“These services enhance academic success and make it more likely that students will graduate or transfer with the lowest possible debt,” said Scott.

Many Student Support Services alumni have gone on to great success, among them Emmy, Tony and Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis, U.S. Rep. Gwendolyn Moore of Wisconsin’s 4th District and Franklin Chang-Diaz, the first Hispanic astronaut. Along with national celebrities, many of our commencement speakers have been former SSS students.

SSS began in 1968 and is one of the eight federal TRIO programs authorized by the Higher

Education Act to help college students succeed in higher education. It recognizes that students whose parents do not have a college degree have more difficulties navigating the complexity of decisions that college requires for success; it bolsters students from low income families who have not had the academic opportunities that their college peers have had, and helps students with disabilities remove obstacles preventing them from thriving academically.

“This grant is going to allow us to remain focused on student success and help even more students achieve academic and career goals,” said Camp President Dr. Daniel Lufkin. “This is our commitment. We are grateful to the Department of Education for this needed resource.”

For more than 50 years, the Student Support Services program has made important contributions to individuals and society as a whole by providing a broad range of services to help students succeed.

“This program makes all the difference in the lives of our students,” said Scott.

For more information about the program, contact Scott at hscott@pdc.edu or 757-925-6308.

WENDY HARRISON is the public relations specialist for the college. Contact her at wharrison@pdc.edu.