Eligibility

Program Requirements

To be considered for TRiO/Student Support Services, students must be planning to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree AND qualify under AT LEAST ONE of the following criteria:

• Low Income - Based on Federal Financial Aid information
• First Generation - Neither parent received a Bachelor's Degree
• Disabled - Documentation of a disability

In addition to the qualifying criteria listed above, students who are accepted into the TRIO/SSS program at Iowa Western Community College will also meet the following requirements:

• Be a U.S. Citizen or meet Federal Student Aid requirements for "permanent residency"
• Be accepted or enrolled at Iowa Western Community College
• Plan to transfer to a four-year institution after graduating from IWCC in order to pursue a bachelor's degree
  

Assisting Students with Academic Need

Because the TRIO/SSS program offers individualized support and services, all students who are accepted into the program must also prove to have an "academic need" that merits additional assistance in college. Academic Need is determined by ANY of the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA below 2.5
• ACT score below 18 or SAT score below 950
• A nontraditional college student (out of school for a minimum of 5 years)
• Completed GED of high shcool equivalency
• Diagnosed and documented disability
• Currently failing a course or have a poor midterm grade
• One or more F's on transcript
• Limited English proficiency
• Placed in developmental college classes