Student support services

Ridgewater College received a $285,037 Project Grant award effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026, from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education under the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program (CFDA 84.042). The award funds comprehensive supportive services designed to enhance postsecondary educational outcomes for disadvantaged students, including low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities. Services delivered through this program focus on increasing student retention and graduation rates, facilitating transfers from two-year to four-year institutions, and improving academic potential and financial literacy for eligible student populations at the Willmar, Minnesota campus.

The TRIO SSS Program operates as a competitive federal initiative with project periods of up to five years, with continuation awards approved annually based on grantee performance and progress toward stated objectives. Ridgewater College's award represents one of approximately 1,159 grants nationally under this program, which collectively support disadvantaged students in completing their postsecondary education programs across public and private higher education institutions throughout the United States.