Federal grants will boost retention and graduation rates for students who are first-generation, low-income, or have disabilities
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (July 14, 2025)–Kirkwood Community College has been awarded two federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grants totaling $624,895 annually for the next five years by the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the grants is to improve the retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students or students with disabilities.
The grant awards mark the continuation of funding for two of Kirkwood’s five TRIO programs. The TRIO SSS program has been supporting students at the college for more than 30 years. The program serves 175 students, helping them stay in school, earn degrees, and build meaningful careers. Of the total between the two grants, TRIO SSS will receive $352,531 per year over the next five years. The TRIO SSS English as a Second Language (SSS-ESL) program is currently in its second five-year funding cycle for Kirkwood and is one of only a dozen in the country. The program serves 140 students per year. SSS-ESL will receive $272,364 per year over the next five years.
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO SSS and TRIO SSS-ESL empower students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports make it significantly more likely that students will complete their degree or successfully transfer, with the lowest possible debt.
“We’re grateful for the continued support of our TRIO Student Support Services programs through this renewed grant funding,” said Kirkwood TRIO SSS-ESL Program Director Mallory Petsche. “These programs are vital to student success as they play an important role in helping students who may face additional challenges–such as being the first in their family to attend college or managing financial or personal obstacles. With this support, we can continue offering services that help students stay on track, build confidence, and reach their academic goals.”
Nationally, the SSS programs have a proven track record. According to a rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48 percent 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.
For more information about TRIO programs at Kirkwood, visit www.kirkwood.edu/trio.
About Kirkwood
With more than 140 majors and programs, Kirkwood Community College boasts 16,000 annual college-credit students, while maintaining one of the lowest tuitions in the state. All degree-seeking students are eligible for federal financial aid and the college offers more than $3 million in scholarships each year to students from all walks of life. Kirkwood is a convenient, innovative and visionary educational leader that strives to remain affordable and accessible.
About TRIO
TRIO programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Veterans Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students overcome academic, economic, and social barriers to higher education. TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college and tutoring; personal, financial, and career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; and academic assistance in high school or assistance to reenter high school or college.