WATERVILLE, MAINE, August 2020 — Thomas College announces it has been awarded its second TRIO Student Support Services grant. This grant will support the success, retention, and graduation of first-generation students, students from low-income families and/or students with identified disabilities.
The grant provides the College with $1.3 million over five years to serve up to 140 students each year, from entering students through their senior year. The grant is funded through the US Department of Education TRIO programs. Thomas College first received a TRIO grant in 2015.
“Thomas College is proud of its long tradition of serving first generation students in Maine, so continuing the program resonates with that great tradition,” said Vice President of Student Success Debbie Cunningham. “This recent success in continuing the program at Thomas College resulted in part from our initial project being well-managed and meeting the measurable retention and graduation objectives forecasted in the proposal.”
The grant will ensure that participants continue to receive the individualized support that they appreciate from the dedicated staff. These efforts are in keeping with Thomas College’s commitment to high quality student support which includes its nationally certified peer tutoring program and award-winning Early Start program. These efforts are also supported and augmented through the College’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant awarded three years ago.
Benefits to participating students include success coaching, financial literacy training, support meeting Guaranteed Job Program requirements, and assistance applying for graduate or professional school.
Current participants will continue with the program. Other interested students are encouraged to visit the program’s webpage for more information or to contact the program’s director, Zahayra Razo at zahayra.razo@thomas.edu or 207-859-1205.
About Thomas College: Thomas College has been preparing students for success in their personal and professional lives for over 125 years. Thomas College nurtures the unique potential within each student. Our Guaranteed Job Program, 3-year accelerated offerings in all undergraduate degrees (master’s in the fourth year), individualized advising, career counseling, and our Innovation Centers in Business and Education meet a student’s determination to succeed with the direction, confidence, and tools to realize the highest version of themselves. From the classroom to community activities, or on the athletics field with our 19 varsity sports, Thomas College provides a personalized experience that prepares you for the workplace of tomorrow. Data reported by the New York Times ranks Thomas in the top 13 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S. for upward mobility of its graduates, and U.S. News & World Report ranks us #8 among colleges in the Northeast. For more information, visit wwwold.thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at mediarel@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.