Coconino Community College’s TRIO program, which serves first-generation students, students with disabilities and low-income students, receives a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino Community College TRIO Student Support Services program received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant, which will be distributed over a five-year period, is the third such grant CCC has received since 2010.
“This is a big deal because our priority is first-generation students, students with disabilities and low-income students,” said Jessica Laessig, TRIO project coordinator at CCC. “This grant is important to be able to help these students who need it the most on our campus.”
The grant process is highly competitive across all 50 states among thousands of institutions of higher learning, Laessig added.
According to information from the U.S. Department of Education, the funds are to “provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education.”
Laessig said the program offers a variety of services that include academic advising; individual tutoring; laptop, book and calculator loans; scholarship assistance; career and resume assistance; and college exploration. The goal of the program is to help first-generation college students, students with disabilities and low-income students stay in college and graduate with a degree or certificate.
CCC’s TRIO Student Support Services program serves more than 140 students a year.
For more information about the TRIO program at CCC, visit https://www.coconino.edu/trio. For national TRIO information, visit https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html.
About Coconino Community College — CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.