Funding for CWU’s TRiO and Educational Opportunity Center Renewed for Two More Years

Central Washington University’s TRiO and Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) programs, which assist students from low-income and first-generation families to successfully enter and complete college, recently received funding for the second and third years of a five-year grant.

The TRiO programs, which include the Student Support Services (SSS) and Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at the residential campus in Ellensburg and the EOC in Yakima, have been helping students overcome financial and social barriers to higher education for more than 30 years.

CWU’s program is funded to serve 225 students per year. Among the services provided are academic advising and tutoring, career guidance, leadership and service experience, financial literacy programs, and help applying for graduate school.

From 2015-16, CWU’s TRiO SSS students had a 97 percent persistence rate and 88 percent of them were in good academic standing.

“The programs really work and offer our students the tools to succeed in college and graduate,” said Raymond Navarro, director of academic achievement programs at CWU. “The funding allows us to continue helping our students to reach their full potential.”

Media contact: Richard Moreno, Department of Public Affairs, 509-963-2714, Richard.Moreno@cwu.edu.