Student Support Services

Student Support Services (SSS), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a TRIO program dedicated to increasing the retention and graduation rates for low-income students, first-generation students, students who are or were formerly in the foster care system, and/or students with documented disabilities at TJC.

TRIO SSS Mission Statement:

TRIO-SSS at TJC equips participants to successfully complete post-secondary education.

TRIO SSS Objectives:

The Student Support Services program at TJC will meet the following grant objectives:

• 60% of all participants served in the reporting year by the SSS project will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year or earn an associate’s degree or certificate at the grantee institution and/or transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year institution by the fall term of the next academic year. 
• 65% of all enrolled SSS participants served will meet the performance level required to stay in good academic standing at the grantee institution.
• 22% of new participants served each year will graduate from the grantee institution with an associate’s degree or certificate within four (4) years. 
• 19% of new participants served each year will receive an associate’s degree or certificate from the grantee institution and transfer to a four-year institution within four (4) years.

Students who apply to become a part of the TRIO SSS program must be:

• A U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident, as defined below:
  • US Citizen
  • US National (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)
  • Permanent Resident (U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C)
  • Eligible Non-Citizen (Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service)
  • Not eligible are holders of student visas (F1, F2, J1, and J-2 Visas)
• Students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment at TJC.

Each applicant must fall under one or more of three primary eligibility criteria:

1. First-Generation Criteria
To qualify as "first-generation” for the SSS program a first-generation college student means:

• Neither your natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate four year degree;
• Prior to the age of 18, you regularly resided with and received support from only one parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate four-year degree; or
• Prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or an adoptive parent.
• Foster care youth means youth who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system.
• Homeless children and youth means persons defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 1143a).

2. Documented Disability Criteria
If a student has a documented (physical or learning) disability, as defined by Section 504/ADA, he or she may be eligible for the SSS program.  Participants who have documented disability must provide verification from the TJC Office of Disability Accommodation if they are seeking SSS services.

3. Low-Income Guidelines Criteria
The official Low-Income guidelines are updated at the end of January annually. You can view the most recent chart at the Department of Education here.

Find the size of your family in the chart, using your most recent tax return, to determine if your family's taxable income fell at or below the figure in the next column, (taxable income can be found on tax forms 1040EZ-line 6, 1040A-line 26, or 1040-line 43).