Washington Grant Expands WSU Retention Program

PULLMAN, Wash.– Washington State University’s Student Support Services program (SSS) received a $500,000 two-year grant by the Washington TRiO Expansion Program. SSS is currently funded by the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $220,000 per year for five years. The new funding will enable the program to serve an additional 250 students.

“This expanded support from the state is the most meaningful vote of confidence for the kind of high contact, assertive, academic intervention that Student Support Services implements at WSU,” said Francisco Salinas, the new program director.  “We are thrilled to be able to expand these services to affect the academic lives of so many more students.”

The new funding has allowed SSS to hire three new retention counselors to serve the increase in students: Bernadette Buchanan, formerly from the University of Puget Sound; Kate McIlraith, from the University of San Diego; and Amy Sharp, from the University of Idaho. 

During the 2005-2006 academic year, the rate of persistence towards graduation of TRiO students was 91.9%. Participants were in good academic standing at a rate of 87.5%. Since 2002, the SSS program has seen 180 students graduate—not counting those who graduated last spring or will complete their degrees this summer.

Every year 160 WSU students receive free academic, career and personal counseling, tutoring, computer access, study skills training, and cultural enrichment activities.

To be eligible to participate in SSS, students must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment at WSU, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and must be a first generation college student, be in financial need or have a documented disability. 

To learn more about SSS visit www.sssp.wsu.edu.