Western piedmont community college's student support services program would serve burke county, NC. The project proposes to serve 140 SSS eligible students in the target area

Western Piedmont Community College received a $272,364 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education under the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program (CFDA 84.042), effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026. The institution will deliver comprehensive student support services to 140 low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education programs, with the target service area encompassing Burke County, North Carolina. The award funds supportive interventions designed to enhance student retention, academic success, and graduation rates while facilitating student transfers from two-year to four-year institutions.

The Student Support Services Program provides targeted academic advising, financial literacy education, and personalized support services to maximize the potential of disadvantaged students in completing their postsecondary education. As a sub-recipient of federal TRIO funding, Western Piedmont Community College leverages this grant as part of a broader portfolio of student success initiatives serving the rural Appalachian region, complementing existing programs such as Talent Search and Project Connect to address systemic barriers to educational completion and economic opportunity among underrepresented student populations.