A program assisting Allan Hancock College students who are the first members in their families to attend college will continue for at least another five years. The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded a $1.1 million federal grant to Allan Hancock College for the TRIO/Student Support Services project, known as the College Achievement Now (CAN) program.
The program helps first-generation students with basic college requirements and provides them motivation to complete their post-secondary education.
“This grant has been instrumental in changing the odds for more than 300 students already served by the project,” Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers said in a press release. “In a community where many high school graduates are not readily accepted into our local state universities, Hancock and the continued support provided for the CAN program are essential for our students to succeed and reach their educational and employment goals.”
The newly refunded grant will allow the TRIO-CAN program to serve 156 students each year. The previous federal grant allowed the program to serve 140 students annually.
As an open-access community college, Hancock enrolls many economically and educationally challenged students, some of whom are veterans, foster youth, English language learners, and/or students with a disability. According to the press release, TRIO-CAN provides personalized support to help them integrate into the academic and social life of the college.
“Our students develop an academic mindset and come to know they can succeed,” TRIO-CAN Director Petra Gomez said in the release. “Students support and encourage each other to persevere and work through frustrating obstacles.”
TRIO-CAN students receive priority registration, academic and career counseling, mentoring, field trips to four-year universities, free printing, as well as a dedicated space for homework and group study.
“The CAN program has been great,” said Gerardo Atilano, who will transfer to CSU Long Beach in the fall. “I learned what classes I needed to take and was encouraged to join several clubs, which I did. CAN helped me achieve my goal of transferring to a four-year university.”
Atilano was one of nearly 30 TRIO-CAN students who will transfer to four-year universities in fall 2015.
Students must apply to the TRIO-CAN program. To be eligible, students are required to be a citizen of the United States or permanent resident, and must either be a first-generation college student, meet federal income guidelines, or have a verifiable disability.
For more information on the CAN program, call 922-6966, Ext. 3434, or email canprogram@hancockcollege.edu.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 6, 2015.