SXU awarded U.S. Department of Education Grant

$301,690 under Student Support Services Program

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Jay Foot, Executive Director of Media Relations
773-617-3632 or foot@sxu.edu

Chicago (August 10, 2010) On August 9^th Saint Xavier University was notified by the Office of Senator Dick Durbin in Washington D.C. that the University has been selected by the United States Department of Education to receive continued federal funding to support the Student Success Program (SSP). The grant will be extended in the amount of $301,690 for the period September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011. It is anticipated that the grant will be 5 years in duration.

Saint Xavier has been selected to receive this funding under the Student Support Services Program, a federal TRIO grant program administered through the DOE. The University SSP is intended to increase the graduation rates of students by enhancing academic support, connection to concerned staff, individualized counseling, and other activities designed to augment student academic skills. SSP is currently funded to serve 204 students.

“This federal funding makes possible the continuation of vital services to many SXU students who really need them the most,” said Saint Xavier President Christine M. Wiseman, J.D.

Saint Xavier SSP students must be first generation (neither parent has achieved a bachelor’s degree), low-income, or affected by disabilities. SSP is not a remedial program; it is a retention program enabling Saint Xavier staff to promote academic progress by working as a team. SSP services to students include: academic & personal development workshops, service and leadership opportunities, academic monitoring, peer mentoring, and special events. SSP has been serving students at SXU since 1993.

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