Jefferson Davis Community College was awarded a five-year, $1.2 million federal grant to provide assistance to students of low-income, first in their family to attend college or have a learning disability.
The U.S. Department of Education grant will continue to fund the college’s TriO Support Services program, which is designed to improve retention and graduation rates among groups that generally face inequities in higher education. 
JDCC was one of 968 program projects funded across the U.S., sharing in $270 million awarded to help students succeed in college.
“This is a highly competitive grant process that takes place every five years.” Said Dr. William Blow, JDCC interim president. “The fact that the SSS grant has been re-funded and had a perfect score from the readers is a great testament to the dedicated staff members who work hard to help students overcome the many barriers they face and achieve their educational goals.”
Blow said the program’s success has been a team effort and “is a great victory for JDCC, the SSS staff, and the students they serve.”
The program focuses on motivating students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education, Blow said. It provides advising, tutoring, assistance with the financial aid process, financial literacy education, grant aid assistant, as well as cultural enrichment activities. 
The SSS staff helps students with all aspects of their college experience, said program director Kina Burkett.
“The secret to our success s the heart and compassion of the staff to see its students complete their educational goals,” Burkett said.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said,
“These grants provide critical support to students who can benefit from extra help and encouragement along their college journey, enabling them to reach their personal goals and contribute to the economic vitality of our nation.”