By Rich Green, Cheyanne Smith, Megan Moore and Carson Kusch
IV Leader Staff, May 7, 2009
Want priority registration? Tutoring? Access to cultural events? Ease in seeing a counselor?
If so, then, Project Success might be for you.
Project Success, a federally funded TRiO program, currently serves 160 people and is looking to increase its membership with more funding every year.
Located on the upper level of E Building, Project Success has three counselors who serve its 160-student members, so those counselors have a much smaller per student ratio than the counselors who serve the rest of the college population.
Nursing major Tiffany Seibert is one student who has found Project Success helpful.
“Project Success helped me adjust to a larger school, since my high school had less than 300 students, with confidence,” Seibert said. “They helped me become a leader so that I can be an outspoken member of IVCC.”
Seibert serves on the Project Success Student Leadership Advisory Committee and was recently elected Student Government president.
Seibert says she likes being able to have priority registration, attending free cultural events, campus visits and the low counselor-to-student ratio.
Priority registration may be the most important aspect of Project Success. Project Success students have first pick of the classes when they become available, said Valery Calvetti, a Project Success counselor.
Having trouble finding a computer in one of the labs or the library? Project Success has computers for use strictly for students who are enrolled in the program.
Another service is tutoring, and Project Success encourages students to use this feature from the beginning of the semester.
There are scholarship opportunities available as well. Each semester, Project Success awards scholarships to select students based on the combination of student participation in the program, financial need and grade point average.
Project Success also serves student with physical, learning, and other disabilities. In order to qualify you must have documentation ready for submission to the Project Success office.
Qualifying for Project Success
Project Success has a few different ways students can be eligible for the program.
Everyone who is a first generation college student qualifies for Project Success.
To be considered a first generation student, neither of your parents has received a four-year baccalaureate degree prior to your 18th birthday. Having a sibling who has received a four-year degree does not disqualify you from the program.
Students may also qualify if they are considered low income. A student’s income status is determined by the government after a student has filled out financial aid forms.
In certain special circumstances Project Success may be able to determine income status from a tax return. A personal interview is set up as well.
Joining Project Success is free. To apply, students can stop by the office and pick up an application. An application also can be printed out on the Project Success Web site. (www.ivcc.edu and search Project Success.)
TRiO is a collection of educational opportunity programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The “TRiO” name for Project Success is Student Support Services.