By: Patrick Hall
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark (UATV) – Each academic college has unique advising programs for their students. Most universities or colleges feature academic advisors that is made available to students throughout their respective major.
The University of Arkansas has a set of advisors geared towards each student major, but they also have a variety of services to assist students who may not be achieving their full potential.
The TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded program designed to provide comprehensive academic and personal support to eligible students.
Students who are eligible for this program must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the University of Arkansas, and meet one or more of the following criteria: be a first-generation college student (neither parent has a four-year degree), have a documented disability, or meet federal low-income guidelines.
The mission of this service is to empower students to achieve their full potential and succeed in their academic and professional goals.
Director of TRIO, CJ Mathis said, “Just to provide additional assistance in a variety of ways that students need help like filling out financial aid to applying for scholarships and we do it through workshops, but also individual meetings for students.”
The office offers a multitude of different support services including:
- Academic Advising
- Tutoring
- Personal Support
- Financial Aid
Once a student has applied and been accepted, they can utilize any of these resources on campus to help them become more acclimated to the college life.
Kerolos Shenouda, a transfer student from Georgia State said, “The biggest struggle has been not calling my parents and asking for advice.”
Being a first-generation student can be hard for him, but he is able to take advantage of the resources through the service center to help him work his way through the busy college life.
He has been able to be a part of the support services here on campus since January when he transferred to school here.
He also said, “It feels pretty good to know that we’re taken care of. You know my parents did not go to college they were immigrants and I’ve got an opportunity to go and ask someone versus my parents who have not been through this experience.”
This service has been helpful in many different ways including help Andy Roberts, a junior first-generation college student who is looking to go to graduate school for clinical psychology.
Roberts said, “The most useful part of the whole process was them putting me in useful situations that helped my career and degree base.”
The services also include helping students prepare for graduate school and even involve trips to other graduate schools if students are looking to go elsewhere.
The TRIO SSS can cater up to 350 students any given semester, but Mathis said that they currently only have 250 students.
The offices has received much more interest since the passing of COVID-19 when they had only 50 students in 2020.