Southeastern receives $4.9 million in TRIO program grants
Contact: Rene Abadie
12/8/11
HAMMOND – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the TRIO programs at Southeastern Louisiana University nearly $5 million to provide counseling and information on college admissions to individuals from underserved populations looking to enter postsecondary education.
TRIO refers to the original three programs of the Higher Education Act of 1968: Upward Bound, Talent Search and Student Support Services. While retaining the TRIO name, the program has expanded to include other programs, including Veterans Upward Bound and Educational Opportunity Centers.
“These programs are geared toward first generation and low income students in an effort to prepare them for postsecondary education opportunities,” said Duane Donald, Southeastern coordinator of Special Projects and TRIO. “The programs have proven to be very effective, and many students from low income families depend on them to succeed academically in high school and college.”
Educational Talent Search programs for Tangipahoa and Washington parishes were awarded $3.04 million to cover operations through August 2016. The grants fund programs in selected schools in the two parishes.
Serving junior and senior high school students, ETS offers academic tutoring and non-academic services, including personal and career counseling, information on financial aid and ACT/SAT testing.
The Educational Opportunity Center at Southeastern received a $1.87 million grant through 2016. Donald said the program annually serves more than 1,200 individuals in the nine parishes of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, Tangipahoa and Washington.
The program, he said, is committed to improving the lives of its participants by providing services, such as academic assistance, career exploration, enrollment and financial aid assistance and financial and economic literacy counseling.
Donald said the EOC program maintains strong partnerships with numerous organizations and schools that are also working to assist individuals from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
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