Federal TRIO Programs

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Educational Talent Search (ETS)

This project is a federally funded TRIO project, which is designed to (a) identify qualified youth with potential for education at the postsecondary level, encourage them to complete secondary education and undertake a program of postsecondary education; (b) publicize the availability of and facilitate the application for student financial assistance to persons who seek to pursue postsecondary education; and (c) encourage persons who have completed educational programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or re-enter and complete these programs.

An individual is eligible to participate in an ETS project if the individual meets the following:

  1. Requirement # 1
    1. Is a citizen or national of the United States;
    2. Is a permanent resident of the United States;
    3. Is in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and provides evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service of his or her intent to become a permanent resident;
    4. Is a permanent resident of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), or
    5. Is a resident of the Freely Associated States: the Federates States of Micronesia or the Republic of the Marshal Islands.

  2. Requirement # 2: ETS serves eligible enrolled and reentered students in secondary education from grades 9-12, who live in target school areas of Clay, Coosa, Talladega, and Tallapoosa counties.

    Services provided by the ETS program at no charge to eligible students include:

    1. Academic tutoring;
    2. Advice and assistance in secondary school course selection and, if applicable, initial postsecondary course selection;
    3. Assistance in preparing for college entrance examinations and completing college admission applications;
    4. Financial aid assistance (through the Financial Aid Office);
    5. Alternative education programs for secondary school dropouts that lead to the receipts of a regular secondary school diploma;
    6. Entry into General Educational Development (GED) programs; or entry into postsecondary education;
    7. Educational services in financial and economic literacy;
    8. Admission assistance to two-year community colleges or four-year institutions;
    9. Exposure to programs of postsecondary education;
    10. College campus visits and cultural enrichment trips;
    11. Information, activities, and instructions of career planning services, and
    12. An array of educational services as required based upon need.

Upward Bound (UB)

This federally funded TRIO program is designed to serve eligible students, grades 9-12, who attend targeted schools within surrounding communities. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.

Students must have completed the eighth grade and be between the ages of 13 and 19, enrolled in a targeted high school, be considered a first-generation pre-college student, and/or have a need for academic support to succeed in post-secondary education.

Eligible services include the following:

  1. Instruction in reading, writing, study skills, science, mathematics, foreign language, etc.,
  2. Academic and social coaching/mentoring;
  3. Academic advice and guidance in secondary school course selection;
  4. Tutorial services in mathematics, science, and English;
  5. Exposure to educational/cultural events, academic programs, and other activities not usually available to youth within this demographic, and
  6. Activities designed to acquaint UB participants with various careers to include STEM and STEAM technologies. 

Interested students should contact the counseling office of their high schools or the Upward Bound Office in the Bill Nichols Building (Building I) on the Childersburg campus.

Student Support Services STEM (SSS STEM)

The CACC Student Support Services-STEM program is one of three federally funded TRIO projects designed to improve retention and graduation rates, financial literacy, and overall academic success rates for students who are pursing career paths in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math fields. SSS-STEM will provide an array of required and permissible services to 120 students who have demonstrated an academic need as part of the Project’s application process.

The project services include:

  • Academic Advising/Coaching (includes course selection)
  • Tutoring and Other Academic Supports
  • Financial Aid Workshops (includes FASFA completion)
  • Financial and Financial Literacy Education (includes management of personal finances)
  • Four-Year University Admission and Financial Aid Assistance
  • Monitoring Academic Progress to Degree Completion
  • Individual Non-Cognitive Development
  • Transitional Activities. Students must meet the eligibility requirements to participate in the program.

General Information