UNT awarded $2 million grant from U.S. Department of Education to serve first-generation, low-income students, and students with disabilities

The University of North Texas TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program was recently funded $2 million for the 2020-25 grant cycle to serve 258 participants, amounting to $409,610 per academic year.

TRIO SSS is a student success program serving first-generation, low-income, and students with disabilities with the goal of increasing retention and graduation rates of undergraduate students at UNT. TRIO SSS will provide academic tutoring, guidance in completion of financial aid applications, course registration assistance, financial literacy education and counseling, and assistance in enrollment to graduate/professional school with the grant awarded to them.

“By joining TRIO SSS, it has really helped me prepare mentally, as well as academically, to be strong and to stay positive with all my goals and to stay on track,” said Addis Gonte, UNT senior BAAS major.

TRIO SSS will have to meet the following grant objectives; 87 percent of all participants served will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year, 90 percent of all enrolled participants served by SSS will meet the performance level required to stay in good academic standing at UNT, and 57 percent of new participants served each year will graduate within six years.

“We are excited to be able to provide this opportunity to UNT students and to collaborate with campus partners across the UNT community,” said TRIO SSS Project Director Detra Craig.