Courtney Announces Federal Grant to UConn to Support Student Success

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) announced that the University of Connecticut will receive a grant of $292,000 for the 2015-2016 school year to fund support services for first-generation and low-income students. The grant is made possible through the TRIO Student Support Services Program, which awards funding to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, to assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education.

“This grant will provide much-needed services to UConn students who benefit from additional support to help them complete their college education. Statistics show that students from disadvantaged backgrounds often work hard to earn acceptance to college, only to find themselves without adequate campus support to meet demanding new academic requirements,” Courtney said. “Through academic tutoring, course selection and financial counseling, and career guidance, TRIO programs provide students at higher risk of leaving college before graduation with the tools they need to complete their studies. As we focus in Congress on making college affordable and accessible, we must also ensure that students have the resources they need to complete their degrees.”

According to a 2013 analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pell Institute, students “from the highest-income families were eight times more likely than individuals from low-income families to obtain a bachelor’s degree by age 24 (77 percent vs. 9 percent).”

Courtney, a member of the Education and Workforce Committee’s Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee, is a leader on college affordability and student loan policy. He has staunchly advocated for programs to increase access to college for first generation students and students from low-income backgrounds.