Congressional Democrats and Republicans are urging Education Secretary Linda McMahon to preserve funding for TRIO programs, which provide mentorship for first generation, low income students and those with disabilities. In Maine, they serve more than 7,500 students. There's a concern that the loss of the programming will cause some to drop out.
TRIO funding is used to support mentorship programs that steer students into higher education beginning in middle school. At Southern Maine Community College, funding allows staff to be a consistent resource for them through graduation.
Katherine Lualdi, SMCC's director of TRIO Student Support Services, said the program helps students access higher education.
"This is a program that works from an economic point of view, from a human point of view, and its impact is profound in terms of the students we serve, the people who get employed," Lualdi said.
At a hearing yesterday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she doesn't think the program is effective and that TRIO recipients need to be more accountable to the federal government.
Lualdi said some people in Maine might doubt the importance of a program like this now that community college is free.
"But then, why don't we have more people who graduate?" Lualdi said. "And you can't just say, Well, it's because the students aren't smart or not motivated. For many students, because they walk here and they just don't know what to do. They don't even know how to orient themselves."
Lualdi said SMCC gets close to $600,000 dollars a year in TRIO funding for six staff members to mentor 240 students. Without the support, she fears student graduation rates could drop.
And she's hoping that Senator Susan Collins, who has consistently supported TRIO programs, will help reverse the decision to cut the program's funding.
Collins announced earlier this week the Department of Education released almost $1,000,000 in TRIO Upward Bound Grants after she sent a letter to Secretary McMahon urging her to release the promised funding.
