$3.8 million five-year grant awarded to ECC provides continued support for students

Two U.S. Department of Education grants will fund Elgin Community College’s TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) and Student Support Services/English as a Second Language (SSS/ESL) programs for another five years. The two grants total $3.8 million in funding. Part of the college’s federal TRiO program services specifically assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities as they progress through the academic pipeline from middle school through postsecondary programs.

The U.S. Department of Education has funded ECC’s SSS program for over 35 years and the SSS/ESL program for over 10 years. The SSS programs assist traditionally underrepresented students who are the first in their families to attend college. They offer tutoring and other academic, financial literacy, and career development support for students, including second language learners.

“We’re very excited about the renewal of these grants. It demonstrates the confidence the U.S. Department of Education continues to have in ECC to provide these services for our students,” says Bruce Austin, Ed. D., associate dean of TRiO Programs. Austin says this allows the SSS program to serve 365 students and the SSS/ESL program to serve 140 students yearly.

In addition to the Student Support Services program, ECC’s TRiO offers two programs: a college-prep program for high school students who are potential first-generation college students or low-income, and a program that provides academic, career, and financial counseling to middle to high school students to help them graduate from high school and continue onto postsecondary education.

For more information about the TRiO programs, visit elgin.edu/trio or call 847-214-6959.