Mount Mary University Receives $1.1 million federal TRIO Grant

The five-year grant will support The Promise Program -- a program to help increase retention and graduation rates of the University's limited income, first-generation students.

MILWAUKEE (Sept. 17, 2015) - Mount Mary University has received a $1.1 million TRIO grant from the federal government. The five-year grant will allow Mount Mary to continue to support a TRIO Student Support Services program entitled, "The Promise Program: Transforming Possibilities into Success."

The program focuses on increasing retention and graduation rates of the University's limited income, first-generation students. To foster a climate that will support success, increased academic and career counseling, tutoring, and financial literacy education are provided to students meeting the program's criteria. The program serves approximately 140 first-generation and/or limited-income college students each academic year. Mount Mary has helped to graduate 113 Promise Program students since the program was first created in 2010.

In the last five years, the program has surpassed federal objectives of retention and academic standing. Between 2010 and 2014, the retention of Promise students has been 87-93 percent each academic year. In addition, between 96-99 percent of Promise students have been in good academic standing with an average cumulative GPA greater than 3.0 every year.

"The Promise Program was so named because, according to the original grant proposal, the word 'promise' suggests both the promise shown by the student participants and Mount Mary's promise to give them the support they need to pursue and successfully complete their academic endeavors," said Mara Youngbauer, director of the TRIO Promise Program at Mount Mary. "We look forward to keeping that promise to continue to successfully help students realize their dreams of achieving a college education."