June 15, 2001

(DALLAS) — Each of the seven college campuses in the Dallas County Community College District has received a Student Support Services grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Those federal grants provide help to low-income students who have academic potential but who also have received inadequate secondary school preparation, have physical disabilities or are geographically isolated — factors which can hamper them from entering, resuming or completing postsecondary education programs. The DCCCD colleges each received either a four-year or five-year Student Support Services Grant, for a total of $6.9 million over that period of time.

"For the first time in our history, all seven of DCCCD’s colleges received these grants," said Dr. William Wenrich, the district’s chancellor. "Three of our colleges — El Centro, Cedar Valley and Richland — received the five-year awards, which are made to institutions in the top 1 percent of all TRIO programs nationwide. We are very proud of this accomplishment and of the work that we do for students on all of our campuses."

The U.S. Department of Education oversees the TRIO program, which is the umbrella for three programs authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965: Talent Search; Upward Bound; and Student Support Services. All three programs are designed to help recruit disadvantaged youths for college and to provide retention programs after they enroll. The Student Support Services program focuses on retention.

The colleges and their grant awards are: Brookhaven, $242, 268 per year (four-year grant); Cedar Valley, $232,007 per year (five-year grant); Eastfield, $233,158 per year (four-year grant; El Centro, $216,454 per year (five-year grant; Mountain View, $190,000 per year (four-year grant); North Lake $219,777 per year (four-year grant); and Richland, $224,898 per year (five-year grant).

For more information, contact Ann Hatch in the DCCCD office of marketing and communication at (214) 860-2478.