SU student support services program gets grant from US Dept. of Education

SALISBURY, Md. – A student support services program at Salisbury University is getting a little over $1 million in grant money from the united states department of education. The TRiO Student Support Services program helps to make sure that first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities can successfully graduate.

University officials say that the grant will help to strengthen the program and ensure student success. “It’s not just about access to college. It’s about helping students to stay in college and to actually graduate,” said Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Wallace Southerland III.

Dr. Southerland says that it’s important to make sure that all kinds of students have a fair chance. “There’s a large population of students who live in poverty. They’re going to schools that have limited resources or they find themselves in difficult circumstances due to no fault of their own. So the government is stepping in saying ‘We want to help students do better,'” said Dr. Southerland.

Students must apply to get in the program – and space is limited to 150 people. The students who are accepted are able to meet with academic coaches to make sure they’re making progress through higher education. For more information on the program, you can visit Salisbury University’s website.