$1.47M NIC program grant renewed

North Idaho College’s TRIO-Student Support Services program, which assists first-generation college students, students with disabilities, or those from low-income families, has received a five-year, federal grant renewal of $1.47 million.

This is the fifth time since 2001 that federal grant funding has been renewed for the NIC TRIO program, which serves 160 students each year.

“We are thrilled to receive funding for another five years,” said Holly Edwards, NIC TRIO-SSS program director. “Our students come to us with many challenges and barriers to success in college. They also come to us with grit, determination, and passion."

The goal of TRIO—SSS programs is to increase persistence and graduation rates, facilitate the transfer from two-year to four-year colleges, and foster an institutional climate that promotes the success of underserved and underrepresented students.

Corey Morrison, a student who received his associate degree at NIC in 2020 and is now enrolled at the University of Idaho, said the NIC TRIO program has provided him with unlimited resources that have helped him achieve his educational goals in pursuit of a degree in elementary education.

“This would not have happened without the unbelievable help from the entire team at the TRIO office. I would be remiss if I did not mention my advisor, who has helped guide me through my first year back at college after 25 years away from school, and the TRIO staff who went out of their way to find me a wheelchair when mine was breaking down,” Morrison said.

NIC TRIO helps students connect with community resources such as housing and food insecurity resources, educational funding, and referrals to health and wellness resources. All services are free of charge.

In the 2019-2020 academic year, 83 percent of SSS students remained in college or graduated with their associate degree. That’s almost 50 percent higher than the national average. At NIC in 2019, 59 percent of TRIO-SSS participants graduated within four years, which is also 50 percent higher than the national average.

When NIC TRIO students complete end-of-year program evaluations, many say they would never have finished their degrees without the support they received from TRIO.