MCC Receives Funding for Programs for Student Support Services

Middlesex Community College is committed to student success and strives to create opportunities to meet every student’s needs. The U.S. Department of Education awarded Middlesex funding in support of the college’s two Collegiate TRIO Programs for student support services – Program for Student Achievement and Student Success Program. The grant is anticipated to last a duration of five years and totals $656,768 for both programs for the first budget period.

“We are very proud of the achievements of our TRIO students and are grateful to be awarded funding so we may continue to support our students,” said Kaleigh Tardiff, MCC’s Director of TRIO Program for Student Achievement. “TRIO students are a critical part of the MCC student body. Our students are members of the academic honors society Phi Theta Kappa, receive scholarships from MCC and other schools they are transferring to, and are also leaders on campus and in the community.”

The TRIO programs provide extensive services to help students improve their grades, continue with their education, graduate from Middlesex, and transfer to complete their bachelor degrees, according to Tardiff.

“TRIO is my rock – and it’s not just one person, but everyone there, staff and students,” said Jennifer Khuy, TRIO alumna. “They get to know you on a personal level, so they know what resources can help you. I cannot say how grateful I am to be a part of a big TRIO family.”

In the TRIO Program for Student Achievement, students with disabilities receive services in conjunction with MCC’s Office of Disability Support Services. To be eligible, students need to be enrolled or accepted to MCC, have a need for academic support, and can provide documentation of a disability.

Students in the program receive services that may include assistance with advising, tutoring, transferring, monitoring academic progress, planning, organizing, studying, training in self-advocacy skills, attending campus events and opportunities, and referring to appropriate resources across the college and otherwise.

Students who are eligible for the TRIO Student Success Program are first generation college students who are enrolled in an MCC degree program, meet income eligibility guidelines, and have a documented disability.

Support services for students in the program may include assistance in academic advising, career planning and assessment, tutoring, studying and self-improvement workshops, financial aid assistance and advising, personal advising, and transfer assistance.

For more information on MCC’s TRIO Program for Student Achievement, contact Kaleigh Tardiff at 978-656-3273 or tardiffk@middlesex.mass.edu. For more information on MCC’s TRIO Student Success Program, call 978-656-3384 or contact Director Ann Buskey at buskeya@middlesex.mass.edu.

Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/trioservices/ for more information.

MCC’s Mini-mester II, an accelerated, eight-week session, starts on November 2. To register for classes, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!