DECATUR, Ill. — has been awarded a highly competitive federal TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, launching the new Great Start-Great Finish College Success Program to strengthen academic achievement, retention, and graduation outcomes for Millikin students.
The multi-year grant will fund comprehensive academic, financial, and personal support services for 140 eligible Millikin undergraduates — primarily first-generation, low-income students and students with disabilities. With nearly 60% of undergraduate students meeting TRIO eligibility criteria, the grant represents a transformative investment in student success and equity.
“This grant is a game-changer for Millikin University,” said Dr. Dean Pribbenow, Millikin University President. “TRIO programs are nationally recognized for transforming student lives, and this investment allows us to build the kind of holistic support system that ensures all eligible students — no matter their background — have a clear path to graduate, thrive, and succeed.”
The TRIO SSS program will provide individualized support designed to remove barriers that often hinder college persistence. Services will include tutoring, success coaching, academic advising, financial aid guidance, career and graduate school preparation, peer mentoring, and cultural and academic enrichment opportunities.
Students will also benefit from targeted assistance in areas identified by institutional research, including transitions to college-level coursework, financial challenges, mental health concerns, gaps in academic advising, and opportunities to build community and belonging on campus.
Molly Berry, Interim Vice President of Admission and Student Affairs, emphasized the alignment with mission.
“Millikin promises to prepare students for professional success, democratic citizenship, and a meaningful life,” she said. “The TRIO SSS program strengthens that promise by removing systemic barriers and ensuring that students who have historically been underserved are fully supported — academically, financially, and personally.”
The new TRIO-funded initiative will offer academic tutoring and study support, including:
- •Academic advising and degree planning
- •Financial aid assistance
- •Economic and financial literacy programming
- •Graduate school and professional pathway support
- •Individualized success plans
- •Career exploration and professional development
- •Cultural, academic, and community engagement experiences
- •Temporary housing support for students who are homeless or aging out of foster care
With the establishment of the Great Start–Great Finish program, Millikin will significantly expand its capacity to support students who face academic or financial obstacles on their path to graduation.
“This award allows us to remove barriers that too many students face alone,” Berry said. “TRIO gives us the resources to walk alongside students from their first semester through graduation and helps us live into our mission to ensure every student has what they need to succeed.”
The TRIO Student Support Services program will launch in the 2026-27 academic year, with student recruitment and staffing beginning immediately.
