El Paso Community College (EPCC) has landed a hefty federal grant aimed at supporting students who often face the steepest climb toward academic success. The $3.679 million infusion from the Department of Education is an initiative under the TRIO Student Support Services Program (SSSP), and this cash injection is not just any funding; it’s specifically to help low-income students, those who are venturing where no family member has gone before, and individuals living with disabilities.
Over the course of its competitive five-year grant, EPCC will continue a legacy that’s spanned four decades, having supported over 24,000 students since 1985 to not just drag but elevate them across the graduation stage, and beyond, launching into fulfilling careers; at least that's how EPCC frames its mission. What’s clear is the grant will fuel services like tutoring and financial aid assistance, but it’s more; it's mentorship, career advice, and a bolstering of both financial and academic muscles through personalized guidance. “Joining this program has helped me a lot with my journey at EPCC," Jesus Flores, an EPCC student, told EPCC News. “Because of SSSP, I have been a successful student, learning through their program and connecting with the tutors on guidance and advice."
The grant means not just continuity but a deepening of EPCC’s pledge to make sure every student gets a fair shake, a point driven home by Lucia Rodriguez, Director of the Office of Student Success. The numbers give credence; for instance, the rigors of a 2019 U.S. Department of Education evaluation revealed that SSSP-attached students at two-year institutions had a 48% higher likelihood to stack an associate's degree or leap to a four-year university, compared with their non-SSSP matriculated peers.
Denzel Lara, another student benefiting from the program, says the SSSP’s assistance with registration, class selection, and tutoring is an indispensable element in his own academic upswing. “During my participation in the SSSP program, my academic performance has improved, and that has led to better grades in my classes," Lara recounted to EPCC News. It's a sentiment echoing the larger narrative, one where TRIO SSSP stands as a game-changer for students often side-lined by socio-economic factors.
