Lee University has once again been the beneficiary of a $1.3 million grant renewal from the U.S. Department of Education. The award is part of a federal initiative called Student Support Services (SSS) which is part of the TRIO Programs. 

“Receiving this grant is transformative for our campus,” said Dr. Lorinda Roberts, vice president for student success. “It means 140 students can continue their education, supported not only financially, but also by caring professionals, equipped to lead students through the challenges of college life.” 

The TRIO SSS grant funds the university’s Learn, Engage, Achieve Program (LEAP). The program provides individual success coaching, peer mentors, direct student aid, financial aid counseling, financial literacy education, cultural and academic enrichment opportunities, graduate school exploration, and other personalized services according to individual students’ needs. 

“The award of this grant is significant in that it directly connects with our Lee University mission to provide the necessary skills to help students persist and earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Angela Waltrip, director of the LEAP Trio Grant. “It empowers the university to support the program participants with resources to help in their endeavor to discover their calling and career.” 

The grants are awarded every five years on a competitive basis, and this is the third time Lee has been chosen to receive this award. The university contributes additional institutional funds to the program that serves 140 first-generation or underrepresented students each year who meet the eligibility criteria.  

For more information about LEAP, visit leeuniversity.edu/leap/. 

The Federal TRIO Programs include eight federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programs provide grants to institutions of higher education, public and private agencies, and various organizations. The name TRIO comes from the original three programs that were created in 1965, thanks to the Higher Education Act. 

For more information about TRIO Programs, visit ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ope/trio.