Media Contact
Kenya King
Director
Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Perimeter College
[email protected]
DECATUR, Ga.—The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Perimeter College at Georgia State University (GSU) with nearly $7 million in Student Support Services (TRiO) funding to improve student success rates over the next five years.
Perimeter’s Alpharetta, Clarkston, Dunwoody and Newton campuses each received $1.3 million dollars in grant awards. The college’s Decatur Campus, which has the longest running TriO program at the school, received $1.5 million.
“This is a very big deal for our students,” said Mary Hamilton, associate director for Student Success: Academic Support & Outreach at GSU.
“These TRiO programs provide data-proven support and resources to help students be successful.”
TRiO offices are located on each Perimeter Campus, as well as at GSU’s Atlanta location, which received a $1.8 million grant from the DOE’s latest round of funding renewals. The program provides a variety of academic support services targeting students who are financially disadvantaged and/or the first in their families to attend college—among other qualifying requirements.
Services include academic tutoring and advising, financial aid knowledge, assistance in completing financial aid applications, financial and economic literacy, and, for Perimeter students, assistance transferring to a four-year institution.
“During this uncertain time of sponsored funding, it is important that our students know these supports and resources exist,” said Mary Elizabeth Tyler Boucebci, associate director of Training & Development in the Perimeter College Office of Grants Development and Administration.
Tyler Boucebci also addressed the perceived impact that the government shut down is having on students receiving services.
“It’s important for students to know that although the government is shut down, these projects remain funded and are an important resource for our low-income and first-generation students.”
Hamilton agrees and is optimistic about what the continued benefit of TRiO will mean for Perimeter students over the five-year funding for the grants which began this fall and will last through August of 2030.
“We're very excited that they've been renewed and look forward to continuing to help our students,” Hamilton said.
Story by Kysa Anderson Daniels
Photo by Meg Buscema