USAO Secures Federal Grant to Launch Student Support Program

Contact: Hannah Thompson | 405-574-1362

 

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is pleased to announce that that it has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish the Student Support Services (SSS) program on its campus. The funding request was for $272,364 for each budget cycle over 5 years, totaling over $1.36 million from September 2025 through September 2030. This marks USAO’s first successful bid for a TRIO program. 

The SSS program is designed to provide comprehensive, intensive, holistic support to students who are first-generation, low-income, and/or have disabilities. A significant portion of USAO’s enrollment, with 52 percent (477 students) of the student body meeting at least one eligibility criterion in Fall 2023. 

“We work with services that already exist on campus to ensure that we’re not supplanting any services with what this department will provide. Instead, we will enhance support to students to provide them the best opportunities for success.” Said Monica Trevino, Executive Director of Grants & Special Initiatives at USAO. “Our efforts will help us evaluate what kind of a difference these strategies made for student participants, and we can then take that information and determine how we can apply it to the rest of the student body.”

Monica Trevino, who credits J.C. Sanders and Robyn Rogers’ dedication and instrumental efforts to preparing the research and data needed for the grant, has set ambitious five-year objectives for the SSS participants, including an increase in the persistence rate from the baseline of 70 percent to 80 percent and raising the six-year graduation rate from 34 percent to 44 percent. 

This new program will serve approximately 140 participants annually. Key services will include: 

• Individualized Advising and Case Management: The program features a full-time advisement and engagement specialist to build sustained, personalized relationships with participants throughout their academic careers. 
• Targeted Academic Support: Access to tutoring and supplemental instruction provided by academic support coaches, specifically for SSS participants. 
• Financial Literacy Education: Workshops and coaching will focus on personal financial planning, helping to minimize student dependence on loans. 
• Career and Post-Graduate Planning: Activities will include career exploration through experiential learning, assistance with applying to graduate and professional schools, and a Half-Way There celebration to recognize the achievements of participants who are halfway to completing their degrees. 

The SSS staff, which includes a Program Director and an Advisement and Engagement Specialist, will be housed in Troutt Hall, centralizing services adjacent to the Financial Aid and Admissions offices. 

 

“This grant is a transformative investment in the students who need our support the most,” said Dr. Kayla Hale, USAO President. “For over a century, our mission has been to provide a high-quality liberal arts education that is attainable for all of our students. This new program gives us the resources we need to further our dedicated support to students so that they may succeed.” 

About USAO:

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is Oklahoma’s only public liberal arts college. Located in Chickasha, USAO is a distinctive institution offering a challenging interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. With a focus on broad-based education and civic responsibility, USAO prepares students to become well-rounded, adaptable leaders ready to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the world.