Rep. Antonio Delgado announced more than $600,000 in federal grants to fund the Student Support Services Program at a local college.
The funding aims to help low-income students access higher education at SUNY Ulster. The money is broken up into two grants: the first will serve 230 low-income and first generation college students, and the second will provide support and resources to 100 students with disabilities.
The money comes at a particularly critical time for students due to the pandemic. At the beginning of the crisis, the Department of Education allocated funding to colleges and universities with the expectation that some of that funding would go directly towards their students. Recipients could then use the funding to help them stay in school remotely by covering some of the cost of room and board, or improving their access to the internet.
However, reports indicate that some of the students that most needed the funding were left out as private schools and some for-profit universities cashed in. That meant students at public institutions and community colleges received less support.
This fall, the country is already seeing low-income students drop out of college at alarming rates. The combination of job losses, especially in the hospitality and the food industries that are frequent employers for college students, unreliable access to the internet, and unexpected additional costs are driving a wave of students dropping out.
The funding for SUNY Ulster should help students in similar situations. According to Delgado’s office, funds from the Student Support Services help provide opportunities for academic development, support students with basic college requirements, and help motivate students to finish up their degrees.
“Student Support Services Program promotes student success with the goals of increasing the retention, graduation, and transfer rates of those enrolled,” said Dr. Alan P. Roberts in a statement. Roberts serves as president of SUNY Ulster. “ Services provided include highly individualized academic, career, financial, and transfer counseling to 230 low-income and first-generation college students as well as 100 students with disabilities.”
In a statement, Delgado pledged to continue working to support local schools and universities.
“Specifically, these federal grants will bolster the university’s programming that assists learners as they adjust to life in college by providing specialized academic counseling, helping students transfer to four-year institutions, and career coaching to secure good paying jobs after graduation, among other services,” he said. “I will continue to do everything I can at the federal level to help a broader number of students succeed in the classroom.”
Elle Meyers Elle Meyers is a Congressional Reporter for COURIER where she covers national politics and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Previously Elle was a beat reporter in Montgomery County, Maryland and she is a native of Portland.
