This award marks the continuation of TRIO SSS services on campus since 1977. Since its launch, Mesa’s STAR TRIO program has supported hundreds of students in staying enrolled, earning degrees, and preparing for meaningful careers.
Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO SSS empowers students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports make it significantly more likely that students will complete their degree or successfully transfer, with the lowest possible debt.
“This grant allows us to walk alongside students who are often navigating college without a map,” said Dr. Ashanti Hands, President of San Diego Mesa College. “Through STAR TRIO, we offer not just support, but a sense of belonging and a deep belief in their brilliance, affirming that their dreams are valid and their success inevitable.”
Nationally, the SSS program has a proven track record. According to a 2019 U.S. Department of Education evaluation, SSS students at two-year colleges were 48% more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar peers not in the program.
“Everything changed for me when I became part of STAR TRIO,” said Ginger Mankins, Spring 2024 Mesa graduate. “My counselor really listened to my goals and helped me choose the perfect transfer major. I used the STAR TRIO space every day to study, get writing help from a tutor, and build a community. I finished my ADT in under two years and transferred to SDSU. My counselor was right there with me when I hit the submit button.”
Student Support Services (SSS) is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs are designed to remove academic, social, and cultural barriers to higher education. Since 1968, SSS has helped millions of students graduate from college and contribute to their communities and the broader economy.
Notable alumni of the TRIO Student Support Services program include Michael Cashman, Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, NY; José Hernández, former NASA astronaut; and Cheryl Johnson, 36th Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Learn more about TRIO Student Support Services at Mesa.
Contact Chris Kalck, STAR TRIO Counselor Coordinator, at MesaStarTrio@sdccd.edu.
About the Federal TRIO Programs
The TRIO programs, Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Veterans Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, help students overcome academic, economic, and social barriers to higher education. Services include tutoring; financial, personal, and career counseling; help applying to college and financial aid; college and workplace visits; and specialized instruction in reading, writing, math, and study skills.