July 16, 2025
Federal grant will boost student retention and graduation at St. Mary’s University
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded St. Mary’s University a federal TRIO Student Support Services grant totaling $1,361,810 to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.
This award marks the continuation of 10 years of TRIO Student Support Services at St. Mary’s. Since 2015, the program has served 498 students, helping them stay in school, earn degrees and build meaningful careers.
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO Student Support Services 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.
“This grant allows St. Mary’s University to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all students — regardless of background — can thrive academically and personally,” said Marcy LaBossiere-Perez, Director of TRIO Student Support Services. “Student Support Services help level the playing field and equip our students with the tools and confidence to graduate and lead.”
Nationally, the program has a proven track record. According to a rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in the program at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year school. 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 Student Support Services, in particular, transform 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.”
Student Support Services 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, Student Support Services 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, New York; former NASA astronaut José Hernández; and Cheryl Johnson, 36th Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
About the Federal TRIO programs
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.