Maryville College TRIO program receives another round of grant funding totaling $1.3 million
Aug. 19, 2025
Five years after receiving the initial funding that helped create it, Maryville College’s TRIO Student Support Service program has again received a $1.3 million, five-year grant that will allow it to continue to help students succeed and graduate.
In August 2020, it was announced that a $1,309,440 Student Support Services (SSS) grant from the U.S. Department of Education had been bestowed to MC to provide academic and other support services to first-generation college students, students with high financial need and students with documented disabilities.
Last summer, Maryville College submitted a proposal for a follow-up grant to continue the program’s funding, and while the process was a competitive one, according to Project Director Dr. Sylvia Turner, the new grant, for $1,361,820, will provide $272,364 per year through 2030. It was awarded, she added, because TRIO’s outcomes since implementation of the first grant have demonstrated just how successful the program has been.
“We are funded to serve 140 students and have met our numbers for the last three years,” she said. “The first couple of years were difficult because we started during the pandemic, but now we’re fully operational, and as students leave the College or graduate, we fill those vacant spots with other students who are first-generation, have high financial need, or have a documented disability.”
“We’re grateful for continued generous funding of the College’s TRIO program, which provides comprehensive support for deserving students,” added MC President Dr. Bryan Coker. “This program increases the likelihood of students’ success and persistence in meeting their educational and career goals.”
Student Support Services began in 1968 and is one of the eight federal “TRIO” programs authorized by the Higher Education Act to help college students succeed in higher education. The SSS program provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements and serves to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. The goal of SSS is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and to help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next.
At Maryville College, some of the TRIO services include in-person tutoring (and on-demand 24/7 tutoring access with the website TutorMe); workshops on academic success that include foundational skills like notetaking and using library resources, on financial literacy that teach enrollees money fundamentals such as basic budgeting and understanding student loans, and on career/professional development that helps students craft successful resumes; and help prepare students who are beginning their careers or preparing for competitive graduate and/or professional programs.
“Each student is assigned a personal academic coach who helps them develop their own individualized success plan, and they become the someone students can talk to about anything,” said Savannah Latham ’28, a History major and TRIO peer mentor who’s also a member of the MC Student Government Association (SGA). “They will help you with literally everything and will guide you in the right direction. These sessions work because your mentor has been where you are, and has the resources to help make you better.”
An unparalleled support system
Throughout the academic year, TRIO students are given additional opportunities to assist them in both academic and vocational pursuits, including study nights with TRIO tutors and Maryville College faculty members; assistance with graduate school applications; job search training, from resume and cover-letter writing to mock interviews; assistance applying for scholarships and fellowships; student employment; and access to designated study spaces outfitted with desktop computers and printers.
In addition, various TRIO activities assist students with both experience and practice, such as the annual “Etiquette Dinner,” designed to help students understand and feel more comfortable in business settings; game nights; first-generation college student celebrations; National TRIO Day, which in the past has included program alumni who discussed how TRIO shaped and supported their academic journeys and professional development opportunities; graduate school tours around the South; an annual leadership retreat made up of a four-day visit to Atlanta, where participants honed leadership skills after completing Gallup Clifton Strengths Assessments; and more.
“TRIO graduated 28 students in the spring; 49 TRIO students made the Dean’s List; and 13 TRIO students were recognized during April’s Celebration of Student Achievement,” Turner said, who added that TRIO participants have also been awarded the College’s top student honor, the Carl ’63 and Jean McDonald Outstanding Senior Award, two out of the past four years (Nicholas Clifton ’22 in 2022, and Jewell West ’25 last April).
“Twenty-two students received a stipend (paid out of the grant) in Fall 2024, and 23 students in Spring 2025 received a stipend to help support their academic careers and reduce dependency on student loans,” she added. “Of the 23 students who earned one in Spring 2025, 10 of them were awarded a stipend for the first time. And on top of that, TRIO has hosted more than 50 academic success, financial literacy and career/professional development workshops.”
In addition, many TRIO students make the transition to the roles of tutors and peer mentors who are responsible for a number of different tasks that support both the program and its participants. For undergraduates like Latham, advocating for TRIO is one of the most rewarding parts of her mentorship.
“I was introduced to TRIO by my first-year academic advisor, who thought TRIO could be a good support system for me,” she said. “Before becoming a peer mentor, I learned how to fully utilize the workshops and resources. Even before I was a peer mentor, I knew that being able to explain how important TRIO is and how it can make an impact could make a huge difference, simply because it can help someone realize that they qualify, and that the benefits that come with being in TRIO can help them.”
As a peer mentor, Latham is responsible, she said, for improving communication, understanding and the overall environment of TRIO. Whether it’s making posters, social media posts or answering questions those exploring the program might have, it’s a way for her to “do good on the largest possible scale,” to borrow the famous tenet of Maryville College delivered by founder the Rev. Isaac Anderson.
“I find working with TRIO rewarding because you get to help peers make college work, whether that is helping explain the stipend, helping them navigate college, or just being a part of their support system,” she said. “Working with TRIO in this way allows me to be a part of their story of success. TRIO is a resource that is sometimes overlooked, but it can also be one of the best assets for students because it is centered around the students and their needs, especially first-generation students.
“It can be a safe space where you can ask all of the financial, academic and career questions that you feel like your peers already have the answers to.”
For more information or to apply, students can visit the TRIO website, call 865-981-8333, or stop by the TRIO office on the third floor of Anderson Hall.