WILBURTON – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Eastern Oklahoma State College a federal TRIO Student Support Services grant totaling $348,000 to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.

This award marks the continuation of more than 30 years of TRIO SSS services on Eastern’s campus. Since the 1990s, 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.

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 lowincome, 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 eosc.edu/trio.