UAF Student Support Services Program receives $800,000 grant

Submitted by Claudia Clark
Phone: (907) 474-6533
04/25/05

UAF’s Student Support Services Program has recently received a four-year, $800,000 grant from U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education. The SSSP will use the funds awarded to provide academic support services to first-generation and low-income or disabled students. The program provides activities such as a structured first-year experience, proactive advising, peer and professional tutoring and close monitoring of student progress. The program is designed to increase college retention and improve graduation rates for eligible students.

UAF’s competitive application scored 96 of 100 possible points based on weighted categories of need, objectives, plan of operation, institutional commitment, quality of personnel, budget and evaluation plan. The application earned the maximum possible points for UAF’s institutional commitment, objectives and reasonableness of budget.

SSSP is a federally funded, education department TRIO program designed to increase student motivation and improve student retention and success rates. The program has been operating at UAF since 1978, offering personal and academic support through its developmental and degree-level courses, free tutoring, academic advising and advocacy. The mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation.

CONTACT: Claudia Clark, enrollment management dean at (907) 474-6533 or e-mail ffccc@uaf.edu , Elena Schlotfeldt, SSSP interim-director at (907) 474-6435 or e-mail fnebs@uaf.edu or visit http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html for more information.