Are you a student struggling to juggle your school schedule with your personal life? Maybe you’re having a hard time finding resources to help you through the college process, transfer requirements or where to get information about transferring to other colleges.

Mt. Hood Community College’s TRiO program supports eligible students that are pursuing their bachelor’s degree as well as supplying students with personal and individual help.

It is a program designed to provide students with services to help them succeed at MHCC and prepare them to transfer to a four-year college. It serves students with goal-setting assistance, developing individualized academic plans, study and life skills, transfer information and advice, academic, career and personal advising, individualized, appointment-based tutoring and they have an equipment and textbook loan program.

TRiO provides resource information for career exploration, scholarship information and guidance, computers and Internet access, cultural enrichment trips, activities and opportunities for community service and campus visitations to four-year colleges and universities. TRiO keeps in touch with Oregon colleges and universities to help students who are transferring. They also will help students who are planning to transfer out-of-state and keep in touch with the school the student is planning to attend. They strongly focus on volunteer projects, which can benefit students who are planning to apply for scholarships, and look good on applications and resumes.

TRiO tries to go above and beyond what the institution already offers. “We try to be the best we can be,” said Tonya Bassé, director of MHCC’s TRiO program. Backed by a federal program, TRiO serves about 160 students a year, and will help students throughout their education at MHCC. For a student to become involved, they must meet the qualifications for the program.

A student must be planning to transfer to a four-year college, they must be taking a minimum of nine credit hours per term and they must be a U.S. citizen or meet the residency requirements for federal student financial assistance. Students must have a need for academic support such as an overall GPA below 2.49, earned a GED instead of a high school diploma, have failing grades in core academic course work or have been out of school more than five years. They also need to meet at least one of the following: federal low-income eligibility (highest priority), first generation college eligibility (neither parent has a bachelor’s degree) or disabled with documentation.

First year students are expected to need to stay active with the program, check in with their adviser and to participate in activities. “We can’t help students if we don’t see them,” said Bassé.

The TRiO program does not do things for students; instead, it puts students in touch with resources and helps give them connections. “What they choose to do with the information is up to them,” said Bassé.

Second-year students are generally not expected to participate as much as first-year students. The TRiO program helps students who are struggling with school and helps them balance school with their life. They also provide help to student parents with childcare.

“I probably wouldn’t be going to school this term if it weren’t for the TRiO program,” said Cosmo Guzzardi, a student parent. Guzzardi said that TRiO has “really good advising and one-on-one counseling,” which helps the program make school, “less stressful.”

Students of any level are eligible to join, and the program has openings for potential students. To become involved, pick up an application at the TRiO office located across from the College Center.