Mt. Hood Community College was recently awarded a Student Success grant focused on recruiting and supporting first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds and under-represented populations.
Student Success Specialist Stephanie English
works with Erika Cardenas, a graduate of
MHCC's Student Success program. The grant, valued at $892,711, will fund several Student Success Specialist positions who will work with students on college navigation, career planning, and basic computer literacy. These specialists will also assist students on applying for community-based
organizational support, as well as funding from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), scholarships, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds.
“Student Success Specialists offer wraparound support to students who may be entirely new to the college experience,” said Joy Jerome Turtola, Workforce Development Director and the manager of the Student Success grant. “Additionally, the grant will
provide funding for unmet needs, such as tuition, books, fees and support services like transportation and emergency housing.”
Beginning in July, students can meet with a Student Success Specialist at multiple MHCC and partner locations, including Adult Basic Skills, the Orientation Center, Disabilities Services Office, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)/Learning
Success Center, the Adult High School Program, and WorkSource Gresham.
Students eligible for the grant can also access MHCC’s Bridge Program, a comprehensive college training seminar offered before each term, and they can enroll in the college’s Learning Communities program, which pairs a three-credit HD100C College
Success course with another class.