UW Educational Opportunity Center Receives Nearly $4 Million in Five-Year TRIO Funding

Federal funding will expand support for about 2,800 adults and nontraditional students seeking to reenter and complete higher education across Wyoming.

The University of Wyoming's Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), housed within the Office of Student Educational Opportunity, has received nearly $4 million in federal funding to help more Wyoming residents access and complete higher education.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded UW's TRIO EOC program a grant totaling $784,000 annually -- or $3.92 million -- over the five-year grant period. UW EOC was among 130 proposals awarded in a discretionary grant competition -- from among 350 applicants nationwide -- to provide educational support to individuals who face barriers to entering or succeeding in higher education.

With eight EOC staff serving communities across Wyoming, the program currently supports more than 2,600 adult learners and other nontraditional students statewide. The new funding will enable EOC staff to continue helping participants enroll in higher education and apprenticeship programs; persist toward their educational and career goals; and successfully complete degrees or credentials.

EOC services are designed for a wide range of individuals, including first-generation and limited-income students; adults seeking to start postsecondary degree or certificate programs; individuals who previously attended college and want to return; high school students preparing for college; students who left high school before earning diplomas; and populations traditionally underrepresented in higher education, including homeless youth and young adults aging out of foster care.

"Access to higher education can be life-changing, but navigating the process can be challenging, particularly for students and adults who may not have family or other support systems to guide them," says Christina Millemon, EOC project director. "Our team works alongside participants to help remove those barriers and give them the tools, information and support they need to reach their educational goals."

EOC staff provide individualized assistance with college admission and scholarship applications; high school and college course planning; career guidance; financial and economic literacy; and completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The program also helps participants earn alternative high school credentials, including the GED, and prepare for standardized tests. Additional services include college visits and support for students transferring from two-year institutions to four-year degree programs.

Established by Congress in 1972, the EOC program is part of TRIO, a collection of federally funded educational opportunity programs designed to help low-income and first-generation students, adult learners and students with disabilities enroll in, persist and complete postsecondary education.

"EOC is an important resource for Wyoming communities because it meets people where they are in their educational journey," Millemon says. "Whether someone is considering college for the first time, returning after years away or working to overcome barriers to completing their education, our staff are here to help."

For more information about UW's Educational Opportunity Center, call Millemon at (307) 766-6189 or email [email protected].