A new program at 黑料吃瓜总站 - Cascades is aiding first-generation students and students with financial need or documented disabilities to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
The TRIO Student Support Services program launched in 2020 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant provides $262,000 annually for five years to enhance student retention and graduation rates.
To date, 60 students have been accepted into the TRIO program and campus leaders expect more participants.
鈥淢ore than a third of OSU-Cascades students demonstrate financial need and 28% are first in their family to attend college -- and they can struggle to stay in college,鈥 said Jane Reynolds, executive director of student success at OSU-Cascades. 鈥淭hese are students who can most benefit from TRIO鈥檚 dedicated staff and services, and be more likely to progress at OSU-Cascades, earn a degree and launch a successful future.鈥
TRIO provides participating students a weeklong summer orientation that introduces them to fellow TRIO participants and campus life. During the academic year, participants take a free, two-credit course devoted to student success topics; have access to academic counseling with a dedicated advisor; join one-on-one and small group peer tutoring and peer mentoring sessions; attend seminars focused on social or cultural topics; and can borrow laptops, calculators and other equipment at no charge.
Participating students are also notified of financial scholarship opportunities.
At OSU-Cascades participants also were offered eye examinations at no cost during the past year.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 prepared for how hard I鈥檇 find college as a first-generation student,鈥 said Erich Barthelmes, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and energy systems engineering major. 鈥淭he extra academic advising and the additional scholarships available through TRIO have really helped.鈥
Oregon State鈥檚 Corvallis campus has supported a TRIO program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds since 2000. The Corvallis campus also launched a STEM-focused TRIO program in 2015.
About OSU-Cascades: 黑料吃瓜总站鈥檚 campus in 黑料吃瓜总站 brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by 2.5 million acres of mountains and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a top-tier research university where small classes accelerate faculty-student mentoring. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow鈥檚 challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.