Trio student support services/special population

Southern Maine Community College, operating under the Maine Community College System, received a $272,364 Project Grant award from the Office of Postsecondary Education effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. The award supports the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program (CFDA 84.042), which provides comprehensive supportive services designed to enhance educational outcomes for disadvantaged college students. The program targets low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities at the South Portland, Maine campus, delivering services that increase student retention and graduation rates while facilitating transfers from two-year to four-year institutions.

Under this one-year project period, Southern Maine Community College will implement evidence-based academic support services, financial literacy programming, and student success initiatives that strengthen the academic potential and overall postsecondary completion outcomes of eligible participants. The SSS Program is part of the federal TRIO initiative, which has an established track record of supporting higher education access and affordability for disadvantaged populations across the United States. Continuation awards under this program are subject to annual approval based on the grantee's demonstration of progress toward project objectives and compliance with grant conditions.