TRIO SSS Program Awarded Grant Renewal
August 12, 2025 - Dawn Blue-Sky Hill
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has awarded The University of New Mexico a federal Student Support Services (SSS)-TRIO $1.5 million grant to continue its work improving college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, SSS-TRIO empowers under-resourced students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports significantly increase the likelihood that students will complete their degree with the lowest possible debt.
“This grant allows The University of New Mexico to deepen our commitment to ensuring SSS students have resources to thrive academically and personally,” said Dawn Blue Sky-Hill, SSS-TRIO program manager. “SSS helps level the playing field and equips our students with the tools and confidence to persist and graduate.”
Dr. Eric Scott, vice president for Student Affairs, said SSS-TRIO enables students the opportunity to realize their potential by reducing barriers to entry and persistence, ensuring they can realize academic achievement and bring their strengths and contributions to our community. “Each of our students brings assets and skills to our campus, and together, we create a community of thriving and success,” he said.
Nationally, the SSS program has a proven track record of success. According to a rigorous 2019 evaluation by the U.S. DOE, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48% 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 [SSS-TRIO], in particular, transform students from the least resourced backgrounds into college graduates,” said Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education. “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 Student Support Services TRIO at The University of New Mexico-Main Campus visit ssstrio.unm.edu or contact the SSS office at unmsss@unm.edu.
