Ripon College’s Student Support Services receives five-year funding renewal

Federal grant will boost student retention, graduation rates

The U.S. Department of Education renewed its funding with Ripon College, therefore awarding a grant of $1.51 million by 2030 to support TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) to improve retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.

“The goal of the program is to make sure people graduate from this institution,” Director of Student Support Services Daniel Krhin said. “As importantly, students need to know what will happen to them in the process of becoming a four year college educated individual, besides just having a path to a career. College is an insulating piece to somebody’s life and education provides a lot of opportunities.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there were 1,702 grant-eligible applicants with Ripon being one of 962 applications chosen to receive funding.

Through SSS, the College is able to provide tailored services such as academic guidance and advising, graduate school exposure and application assistance, disability services and coaching, job shadowing opportunities and financial literacy programming.

SSS also offers cultural enrichment to expose students to experiences they may not have had access to before. Students have taken trips to Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton to see productions like The Lion King, Wicked, Stomp, Lord of the Dance and more.

Any student who is a first-generation college student, meaning neither parent has earned a four-year college degree; comes from a low-income household based on income thresholds set by the Department of Education; or has a disability is eligible to access SSS resources.

As part of the funding renewal, Ripon will implement a major change by reallocating a portion of money to fund paid internships for SSS students over the next five years. This will allow students to experience a school-to-work program, connecting them with employers, unions and other organizations before graduating.

“(The emphasis on paid internships through SSS has) never been done before at this institution,” Krhin said. “I think it’s going to be a game changer for some of our students.”

Krhin said a tentative application process would require students to apply, submit a proposal explaining their interest, log hours and present a final project, all of which will help them prepare for their future careers.

“I was a first generation Pell-eligible student, and a college education changed the trajectory of my life, and therefore my daughters’ lives,” newly appointed Vice President and Dean of Students Al Sturgeon said. “Student Support Services helps people like me change their life forever. I’m very excited that the grant was approved and that we continue to do this valuable work for that population.”

During the renewed five years of funding, Ripon’s SSS program aims to meet specific objectives, with funding contingent on performance metrics, including student retention, good standing and graduation rates.

“We have data to show that this matters, this is good, this is changing lives and changing the world for good,” Sturgeon said.

Nationally, the SSS program has a proven track record. According to a 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in SSS at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar peers not in the program.

SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. Since its inception in 1968, SSS has helped millions of low-income, first-generation students graduate from college and contribute to their communities and the economy.

For more information about TRIO Student Support Services at Ripon, visit the SSS webpage.

About the Federal TRIO Programs: TRIO programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Veterans Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students overcome academic, economic and social barriers to higher education. TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college and tutoring; personal, financial and career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; and academic assistance in high school or assistance to reenter high school or college.