Kenai Peninsula College receives federal grant
Published 4:30 am Thursday, November 6, 2025
Kenai Peninsula College will establish a student support services program for first-generation college students following the receipt of a $1.4 million federal grant.
KPC announced in an Oct. 30 press release that they were recently awarded a competitive five-year federal TRIO grant to fund comprehensive services “designed to enhance academic success, retention and graduation rates” for 140 eligible students.
The TRIO Student Support Services program will serve KPC students who are first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds and/or who have disabilities.
“This vital funding will help remove barriers to higher education and provide targeted support to help students navigate their college journey successfully,” the release states.
The TRIO SSS program is one of eight federal TRIO programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from “disadvantaged backgrounds.” According to the release, the program has a proven track record of improving retention and graduation rates at institutions nationwide.
KPC has already begun implementing the TRIO SSS program and expects services to be available to students starting in January. The KPC program will offer “comprehensive” services including academic advising and course selection guidance; financial aid information and application assistance; financial and economic literacy education; individualized counseling for personal, career and academic needs; cultural enrichment activities; volunteer mentoring programs; peer academic tutoring and career exploration workshops.
Students interested in learning more about the program and eligibility can contact Director of Student Services Sara Rinearson at scrinearson@alaska.edu.
