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GCU Receives TRIO Grant for Student Support Services

GCU students

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Georgian Court a new TRIO–Student Support Services grant for more than $1.4 million over the next five years.

“This grant will allow GCU to ensure the success of our high-needs students, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college,” said President Joseph R. Marbach, Ph.D. “The TRIO–SSS program, which has served GCU students for more than 35 years, fully aligns with our core values and our mission of supporting them every step of the way, allowing our students to find their calling and follow their passion.”

GCU student
Recent nursing graduate Christina Chatelain, a native of Boston, is driven to help and care for others. As a member of TRIO-SSS, she worked as a peer mentor and volunteered at Life Choice, a hospice facility for patients and their families.

Among them are students like Bianchi Valdez, who recently completed the N.J. Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program; James Powell, a Lakewood native who is also a volunteer firefighter; and Ralph Noriega, a certified EMT member of the Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Neptune emergency response squads.

They are also recent graduates like Christina Chatelain, a Boston native who loves the idea of caring for people, and recently completed a degree in nursing. During her time at GCU, she was president of the executive board for the Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society and volunteered for Life Choice hospice program. Her aim is to pursue a graduate nursing degree and eventually work with patients who suffer from endocrine disorders.

TRIO-SSS students are focused on their future. Nataya Culler, for example, has always loved the library. She put her passion to work as an intern in GCU’s library, which reinforced her desire to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science at the Pratt Institute. Her goal is to become an academic librarian, much like the librarians at GCU who work closely with students to help them conduct research and succeed.

About TRIO-SSS

The TRIO-SSS program at Georgian Court supports academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other services, to help TRIO participants achieve college success and attain a college degree. To learn more, call 732-987-2610 or e-mail sss@georgian.edu.

Aerial view of GCU.

About Georgian Court University

Georgian Court University is a leading regional university that provides a transformative education, preparing students for ethical leadership and service in the Catholic Mercy tradition. Founded in 1908 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Georgian Court University is Central and South Jersey’s only Catholic university. The university has a strong liberal arts core and a historic special concern for women.

As a forward-thinking university that supports diversity and academic excellence, GCU is known for expanding possibility for more than 1,900 students of all faiths and backgrounds in 35+ undergraduate majors and 10+ graduate programs. The GCU Lions compete in 16 NCAA Division II sports in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). In 2020, GCU was named a Best Value College by Money.com and a Best Bang for the Buck (Northeast) by Washington Monthly. High student retention and graduation rates make GCU a Top Performer on Social Mobility on U.S. News & World Reports rankings.

The main campus is in Lakewood, New Jersey, on the picturesque former George Jay Gould estate, a National Historic Landmark. Georgian Court, which is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, also serves students through its Center for Professional Studies, and at other locations, including GCU at Brookdale, and through multiple online degree and certificate programs.

Deposit Deadline Extended to June 1

Georgian Court University has extended the deposit deadline to June 1 in response to the U.S. Department of Education announcement concerning delayed data availability from the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additionally, deposits are also refundable up to June 1. Click here for more information about the deposit extension.