Ivy Tech receives TRIO Grants Three Ivy Tech Regions were recently awarded federal funds totaling $3 million through the Student Support Services TRIO program administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. The program will serve 480 students — 160 students at each of Ivy Tech’s East Central, Central Indiana and Northeast Regions.

The SSS program seeks to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students in the United States who successfully complete an academic program at the post-secondary level. The funded services are designed to boost retention of these students and foster a climate that supports their success.

Two-thirds of the participants in Ivy Tech’s SSS programs must be low-income and first-generation students. The remaining 33 percent may be either low-income students, first-generation students, or students who have a disability.

Ivy Tech staff and faculty, as well as paid student mentors, are assigned to help and give one-on-one attention to SSS students. A “safety net” allows participants to be closely monitored and alerts mentors to immediately contact students who start to founder.

Extra tutoring is made available. In addition, participants are invited to attend cultural events, travel to other cities, and visit other colleges and universities.

During this year’s funding cycle, seven Ivy Tech regions applied for TRIO grants. Competition is stiff — out of 1,364 applications from across the United States , only 957 were funded, of which 881 were existing programs that were re-funded.

Depending on their outcomes, existing programs can gain up to a 15-point advantage over new programs when the proposals are scored.

“Out of 76 new grantees in the nation, two were from Ivy Tech. All seven Ivy Tech proposals were within three points of being funded, and Gary was only 1.3 points away from being funded,” said Ray Vulgan, Ivy Tech executive director of grant development.

He also noted that Fort Wayne ’s proposal scored a perfect 100 points, ranking in the top 10 percent of current awardees. This score landed the region a five-year grant. Ivy Tech East Central, which had an existing TRIO program, and Ivy Tech-Central Indiana both received four-year grant awards.

Published: September 12th, 2005

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