West Virginia University Institute of Technology has once again been selected to receive federal funding from the Department of Education under the Student Support Services Program to provide academic and other support services to low-income, first-generation or disabled students to increase post-secondary educational opportunities.
Thanks to the support of Congressman Nick Rahall, Senator Jay Rockefeller, and the late Senator Robert Byrd, WVU Tech will receive $354,116 to support the on-campus Student Support Services program. These funds are for the period of September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011 and are anticipated to be renewed for a total of five years totaling more than $1.7 million in support. WVU Tech has received this federal funding consistently since 1971.
“We are excited and grateful to once again be a recipient of this federal grant, which enables us to continue providing critical services such as tutoring, counseling, and career planning for first-generation, low-income, and disabled students – ensuring their future success,” said Patricia Hopkins, WVU Tech’s Interim Director of Student Support Services.
The new grant will enable WVU Tech’s Student Support Services (SSS) unit to serve 185 students each year. These services include: academic counseling, assistance securing federal student financial aid, career counseling, tutoring, and graduate school application assistance. Eligible student participants must be United States citizens, enrolled in a four-year degree program and meet certain federal criteria. Students can apply to the program at any point in their undergraduate career and at any point in the semester.
Richard Carpinelli, Dean of Students at WVU Tech explained, “Our students’ achievements are evidence of the success of our Student Support Services program. In fact, 85% of our students that have participated in the program over the last four years have remained in good academic standing with a persistence rate of 74%.”