TRIO Student Support Services helps support undergraduate, income eligable, first-generation students and students with disabilities.
NDSU offers resources to ensure every student can succeed. Programs like TRIO Student Support Services provide individualized support to meet a student’s unique circumstances.
The program is a federal grant-funded program for undergraduate income-eligible students, first-generation students and students with disabilities. TRIO offers a variety of programs to help these students succeed.
“TRIO SSS takes a proactive and holistic approach to student success,” said Scott Norenberg, TRIO programs assistant director and director of Student Support Services. “We offer academic, financial and personal support. Whether it's through individualized tutoring, peer mentoring, career exploration, graduate school preparation, grant aid or enhanced advising from one of our Education Specialists, TRIO SSS seeks to eliminate issues before they appear.”
Patricia Koroma is a first-generation student who has used many of the program’s available resources, including tutoring, career and personal advising and mentoring. Koroma said the program has been helpful throughout her college career.
“College can be overwhelming, especially for incoming first-year students,” said the junior medical laboratory science and microbiology student from Najala, Sierra Leone. “One thing that can help students succeed in college is to have a great support system. TRIO SSS is a great support system that supports incoming students academically and financially.”
“The populations we serve (first-generation college students, students who meet federally set income levels and students with disabilities) face unique challenges,” Norenberg said. “We do our best to get to know students, their needs, their goals and build a relationship that lasts from when they enter our program until they graduate. The importance of SSS is that our program is here not just as a support, but as a program that empowers self-advocacy, self-exploration and avails our students to all the great opportunities that exist at NDSU.”
Koroma said she’s found a community among her peers and the staff in TRIO.
“I have met amazing people and made long-lasting friends,” she said. “It is a great program and I'm happy to be one of its members.”
Learn more about TRIO Student Support Services and its resources on the official NDSU YouTube channel.
