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UA - Pulaski Tech TRIO grant extends vital student support services program to Little Rock - South site

University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College has received a new TRIO Student Support Services Grant, securing $1,361,820 in funding. The grant extends the program’s vital student support services through 2030 and establishes a new location at the UA-PTC Little Rock-South site.

Expanding the program will help students at the Little Rock-South site increase their academic success and prepare them for transferring to their next level of higher education. The goal of TRIO Student Support Services is to cultivate essential skills and guide students to scholarly attainment. Services include professional tutoring, academic advising, financial literacy, cultural events, enrichment workshops, and college transfer assistance.

The TRIO Student Support Services program currently serves 180 UA-PTC students who qualify for services at the college’s Main Campus in North Little Rock. An additional 140 students will be served at the UA-PTC Little Rock – South site. Students must be first-generation college students, meet income requirements based on family size, or have a documented disability.

"The effort to expand TRIO Student Support Services to Little Rock-South has been a long-term goal for the college. Ours was the only new program funded in the state," said Program Director MaryKate Snow. "Our students are success stories. Eighty-seven percent of participants persist in college from one program year to the next and 65% graduate within three years."

The program, which has served UA-PTC students since 2006, is 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education and aims to support low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled college students.

"I am grateful to the leadership and staff at TRIO Student Support Services for their commitment to student success," said UA-PTC Chancellor Summer DeProw. "The program's effectiveness is illustrated by the facts: TRIO students graduate, persist in college, and move into successful careers at higher rates. The improvement in the lives of students and their families is real."

Little Rock-South site

The UA-PTC Little Rock-South site, located at 13000 Interstate 30, opened in fall 2008. Situated near the Saline and Pulaski County boundary, the site serves students in southwest Little Rock and nearby Saline County.

The campus offers university transfer curriculum along with the college’s transportation-related programs, including automotive technology, collision repair, diesel technology, and CDL training. The site is also home to the popular Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, the cosmetology program, and the recently relocated UA-PTC Business and Industry Center.