Paul D. Camp Community College has been awarded approximately $267,000 from the Department of Education to fund Student Support Services for 2012-13 — part of a five-year grant totaling approximately $1.4 million.

Student Support Services is a federal TRIO program that is aimed at assisting students in successfully reaching their educational goals. The program offers tutoring, academic and career counseling, financial aid and transfer counseling, and cultural enrichment to students currently enrolled in a curriculum program at PDCCC. “Students accepted into the program must be enrolled for at least six semester hours and have an academic need,” said Director Gail Vaughan.

In addition, a student must meet one of the following criteria:

4Receive need-based financial aid to attend PDCCC

4Have a physical or learning disability

4Be a first-generation college student

Students who are active in SSS meet with Vaughan regularly for counseling and attend workshops throughout the semester. “Workshops include topics such as how to be successful in college; time management and budgeting; and how to dress for job interviews,” said Vaughan.

Sessions for this semester also included study skills and a motivational session with Ross Boone, former PDCCC dean.

The SSS program provides cultural trips to museums and landmarks, and informational trips to other colleges, such as Old Dominion, Norfolk State, University of Virginia and Chowan universities. Colleges are also invited to set up informational booths on site at PDCCC to assist students with academic choices in continuing their education.

“They have been to the National Cathedral in D.C. and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site,” she said. “They had the opportunity to hear Dr. Cornel West of Princeton University speak at Tidewater Community College’s Roper Center. The students have also attended a glass-blowing class at TCC and a budgeting workshop held by Wells Fargo.”

Student Support Services offers mini-class sessions for math and English and serves approximately 180 students each academic year. The program graduated 26 students in May 2012.