SKCTC's Trio Student Support Services program awarded $1.75 million federal grant
Published on Jul 28, 2025
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College a federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant totaling $1.75 million to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and/or students with disabilities.
This award marks the continuation of 53 years of TRIO SSS services on our campus. Since 1972, the program has served over 7,420 students, helping them stay in school, earn degrees, and build meaningful careers.
The work is currently accomplished by a dedicated team of three staff members: Dr. Deborah Hodge, Rosali Brock, and Nick Blair.
“This grant allows Southeast to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can thrive academically and personally,” said Hodge, director of SSS and Academic Advantage at SKCTC. “Student Support Services helps level the playing field and equips our students with the tools and confidence to graduate and lead.”
TRIO SSS empowers students to overcome barriers to success through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling and mentoring. These comprehensive supports make it significantly more likely that students will complete their degree or successfully transfer with the lowest possible debt.
Nationally, the SSS program has a proven track record for student success. According to a rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar peers not in the program.
“TRIO programs generally and TRIO SSS, in particular, transforms students from the least resourced backgrounds into college graduates,” said Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, D.C. “This vital program makes all the difference for nearly a million students each year across the country.”
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 low-income, 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.
