TRiO Student Support Services

ABOUT

TRiO Day 2015TRiO – Student Support Services is a federally funded program created in 1968 to help students stay in college and graduate. Students can turn to TRiO-SSS for services including tutoring, counseling and peer mentoring as they reach their educational and career goals.

Since its inception at Paul Smith’s, TRiO – Student Support Services has contributed to a significant increase in student persistence and graduation rates at the college.

The TRiO-SSS at Paul Smith’s College is completely funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Our most recent five-year grant, for $1.2 million, serves 165 students a year.

LEARN MORE & APPLY

Services
  • Academic, financial, personal, and career counseling
  • Financial Literacy, money management, scholarships, and student loan repayment assistance
  • Individualized Educational Success Plan and monitoring of academic progress
  • Study skills, time management, computer literacy, and other strategies for academic success
  • Personality and character strengths assessments
  • Professional assistance with writing, research, and math
  • Peer mentoring program
  • Cultural enrichment trips and events
  • Leadership and service learning opportunities
  • Transfer advising, including graduate school preparation
  • Study abroad opportunities, information, support, and scholarships

All TRiO services are provided at no cost to participants.

Application & Eligibility

Who is eligible?
A student who meets all of the following criteria:

  • Is a citizen or national of the United States or meets the residency requirements for federal student financial assistance
  • Is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at Paul Smith’s College
  • Is a first-generation* college student, or an individual with a disability**, or qualifies for financial reasons***

How do I apply?
In addition to the admission requirements for Paul Smith’s College, applicants for TRiO – Student Support Services must complete and submit:

*Student’s parents have associate’s (2-year) degrees or less. 

**If a disability exists, the student must provide documentation which meets Paul Smith’s College guidelines for documenting a disability.

***If a student receives a Pell Grant, it is highly likely student is eligible.

TRiO Grant Aid Application Information

TRiO awards grant aid towards the end of each semester as funds are available. Review the Check List below and complete the Grant Aid Application by or before the last day of classes. If you are selected to receive grant aid, you grant aid will be added in Financial Aid Portal for the following semester. To be considered for Grant Aid, the Grant Aid Application and all items on the application need to be completed by the deadline, either May 1st at 11:59pm and December 1st 11:59pm.

  • Grant aid will be applied to the following semester (i.e., if grant aid is awarded at the end of the Fall 2024 semester, it will be applied Spring 2025)
  • Grant Aid Eligibility Checklist:

  • PELL Eligible -Receive a federal Pell Grant as part of your Financial Aid;
  • Academic Standing: Continue to the best of your ability to stay in good academic standing;
  • Financial Literacy: Complete a TRiO Financial Literacy Activity;*
  • Advocate Meeting: Meet with your TRiO Success Coach;
  • Event Attendance: Attend at least one TRiO participation event(workshop, trip, etc); *
  • Application Completion: Submit your application by the deadline. Remember to complete all required items and activities listed in the application before the deadline.
  • *explore TRiO Events, Cultural Enrichment Trips & Financial Literacy Activities bar below
TRiO Events, Cultural Enrichment Trips & Financial Literacy** Activities

Spring 2024   

Join the Instagram page @psc_trio, check your PSC email, and see the TRiO Sharepoint page on Bobnet for updates.

Feb. 7th – Scholarships: How to find money for college**

Feb. 11th – Ice Skating: Saranac Lake Civic Center

Feb. 14th – TRiO Day

Feb. 21st – TRiO Lunch! Visit with TRiO staff in dining hall

Feb. 23rd – Tubing on the hill at Titus Ski Center

March 20th – TRiO Lunch! Visit with TRiO staff in dining hall

March 20th – Cutting Board Workshop with Deb Naybor

April 3rd – PSC Career Fair

April 10th – Jimmy McCartney, Comedian & College Speaker – 12:20pm Pine Room

April 13th – Thrift Shop Tour

April 15th – Student Loans: Know What You Owe**

April 20th – Montreal Biodome trip

April 24th- TRiO Lunch! Visit with TRiO staff in dining hall

April 24 – Mental Health Awareness Week Speaker – Josh Rivedal

ANYTIME- Zogo Financial Literacy App – see below** 

  • To register for trips, go to tinyurl.com/TRiO24
  • Questions? Email trip leader or stop by the PSC TRiO office, JWALibrary 209.      

    Other events that count towards TRiO participation for Grant Aid applicants:    

  •  Attend a Peer Mentor Student Success Session presented be CACS Peer Mentors. Topics vary each semester. Topics this semester include rock painting party, Scholarship Application Workshop **, time organizing, Resume Building, Career Portal HANDSHAKE Help, How to Craft a Presentation and more.  Times and location are at Student Success Sessions
  • **Anytime: ZOGO Financial Literacy Game app: Use the QRcode below to download and play the Zogo.* You MUST use Access Code: BOBCAT to connect you to PSC Zogo.  PSC TRiO and Zogo have partnered to offer this app ad-free. Get gift cards for popular stores by collecting ZOGO pineapples and trading in for gift cards.  For Since this is a new venture, this first year we will require only that you complete at least one module for TRiO Grant Aid Financial Literacy participation. 
  • https://zogo.app.link/Bobcat

** Financial Literacy activity

BE SURE TO SIGN IN AT ANY EVENT YOU ATTEND. 

STAFF

Amanda Laah Vincent

Director

Lydia Tilert Wright

Administrative Support Coordinator

Monica G. Buriello

Success Coach

Paula S. McClure

Success Coach

Jewel Behe

TRiO Student Ambassador

Jewel Behe TRiO Ambassador
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Contact Us »

TRiO

Joan Weill Adirondack Library
Room 209

Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
lwright@paulsmiths.edu
(518) 327-6061