Trio SSS legacy scholars program, fort steilacoom

Pierce College received a $286,109 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education on September 1, 2025, under the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program (CFDA 84.042). The award funds the Legacy Scholars Program at the Fort Steilacoom campus in Tacoma, Washington, through August 31, 2026. The program delivers comprehensive supportive services designed to enhance postsecondary educational outcomes for disadvantaged college students, including low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities.

The Legacy Scholars Program provides targeted interventions to increase student retention and graduation rates while facilitating transfers from two-year to four-year institutions. Services encompass academic support, financial literacy education, and student success initiatives that strengthen academic potential and overall educational completion. By focusing on these supportive services, the program directly addresses the federal objective to enhance the likelihood that participating students will successfully complete their postsecondary education programs and transition to baccalaureate institutions.