GALESBURG, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1.36 million to Sandburg’s TRIO Student Support Services (SSS). The college will receive $272,364 annually over the next five years starting with the 2025-26 academic year.
Sandburg was awarded one of 962 grants from a nationwide pool of 1,700 applicants and one of 47 recipients from Illinois.
Sandburg has hosted a TRIO SSS program since 1997. The program currently serves 140 students.
In the 2023-24 academic year, 86 percent of participants were in good academic standing. Students had a 64 percent graduation rate, and 49 percent transferred with an associate degree.
“Navigating the college system for the first time can be overwhelming for students and families not familiar with it,” said Stephen Descalzo, director of TRIO SSS at Sandburg. “The program helps break down barriers, alleviates uncertainty and empowers students to take charge of their future.”
TRIO SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to help students overcome economic, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. The program supports students who are first-generation, income-eligible or have disabilities, with the goal of helping them graduate from Sandburg and transfer to a four-year bachelor’s degree program.
