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Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced today that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded over $4 million to 15 Oregon universities and community colleges to provide academic opportunities to disadvantaged students.  The grants are part of the Student Support Service Program, which is a component of the TRIO program. 

“Every student deserves access to good teachers and good schools,” Merkley said.  “These grants will provide Oregon institutions with the resources to help students overcome challenges and achieve academic success.”

“Improving access to quality higher education is an investment in the future economy of Oregon,” Wyden said. “This funding does a great deal to provide underprivileged students from all parts of the state with the ability to get a college education at some of Oregon’s best higher education institutions.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the Student Support Services Program – like other TRIO programs – provides academic and other support services to low-income, first-generation or disabled college students to increase students’ retention and graduation rates, facilitate their transfer from two-year to four-year colleges, and foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of low-income and first generation college students and individuals with disabilities.