UWA鈥檚 TRIO SSS Scholars Program is a federally funded grant initiative supporting 160 limited-income and first-generation students annually. The program helps students persist and graduate within six years, offering free, personalized support services.

Services Offered聽

As an SSS Scholar, you’ll receive: 

  • Financial Information and Resources to assist with FAFSA processes, federal financial aid regulations, scholarship searches, and money management
  • Academic Guidance and Tutoring to help navigate selecting majors, planning classes, and setting and achieving academic goals
  • Career Exploration and Readiness聽to develop career skills and connect students to opportunities with internships, graduate programs, and job searches
  • Community and Support from our peer-mentors, peer-tutors, and staff聽for ongoing support and confidence

Contact Us

[email protected]
(205) 652-3628
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM-12 PM and 1 PM-5 PM聽聽

SSS Grants聽

The TRIO SSS program grants thousands in aid each academic year to eligible TRIO SSS Participants.

To be considered for Grant Aid, a student must: 

  • Be in good academic standing and have a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.25+
  • Complete all required meetings with our SSS staff
  • Attend all required tutoring sessions
  • Complete the Grant Aid Application
  • Be income-eligible, established by the UWA Financial Aid office

Meet Our Team

Andrea Farquhar, Director

[email protected]
(205) 652-3628

Andrea has worked for the UWA SSS grant since 2008, first as our Academic Counselor, then Assistant Director, and now as the Director since 2017. She is responsible for the overall operations of the UWA SSS program.

Daphne Bowden, Assistant Director

[email protected]
(205) 652-3736

Mrs. Bowden joined UWA鈥檚 SSS program in December 2022. In 2025 she transitioned from Coordinator for the SSS Tutoring Center to Assistant Director; besides her administrative duties, she oversees the hiring and training mentors and tutors to assess student learning needs and provide tutoring in more than 50 different UWA courses, managing the scheduling for all student requests, and teaching our students in a section of UWA 101 鈥� Freshman Seminar.

D鈥橬iqua Giles, Program Coordinator

[email protected]
(205) 652-5510

Ms. Giles became our program coordinator in August 2025. She coordinates programming, workshops, and events focused on topics like academic skills, career readiness, entrepreneurship, money management, graduate school opportunities, career exploration and so much more. She is also responsible for student recruiting and data management.

Lasandra Tolbert, Program Assistant

[email protected]
(205) 652-3472

Mrs. Tolbert started working with the TRIO SSS Program in August 2023. She assists the director with managing the budget, purchasing, and coordinating events. She has also been a coordinator for UWA CARES since 2016, where she coordinates the CARES Resource Closet, manages the tutoring center, oversees student staff in the center, and assists the director with administrative work.

Interested in Becoming an SSS Tutor or Mentor?聽

Why apply?聽

  • Make a difference! Our students most often cite our peer staff as the thing that helped the most in earning their degree.聽
  • Make some money! Most of our tutors work 15 hours/week.聽
  • Looks great on resumes and graduate school applications.聽
  • Keeps material fresh for graduate and professional school entrance exams.聽
  • We work with your academic schedule. We understand you are a student first.聽

Responsibilities

  • Provide academic tutoring to program participants and assist in developing study strategies.聽
  • Work with the student to develop a tutoring plan and academic goals that fit the student鈥檚 individual needs.聽
  • Prepare tutoring sessions that ensure the academic development of the student.聽
  • Communicate with program staff about the student鈥檚 progress.聽
  • Maintain up-to-date documentation to track tutee attendance and progress.聽
  • Participate in SSS training sessions.聽

Qualifications

  • Be an undergraduate student currently enrolled at UWA.聽
  • Completed the course you wish to tutor at UWA and received no lower than a B.聽
  • Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.聽
  • Demonstrate knowledge and competence in the subject matter.聽
  • Enjoy teaching the subject you wish to tutor.聽
  • Be able to effectively explain concepts to individuals from diverse backgrounds.聽
  • Possess good organizational skills and complete paperwork accurately and in a timely manner.聽
  • Exhibit patience and a positive attitude in establishing an encouraging learning environment.聽
  • Work collaborative as a member of our team.

NOTE: Those who are SSS members already and/or can tutor multiple courses are especially competitive applicants.

Donations to TRIO SSS will go towards funding scholarships for SSS scholars and for the FLi Society student organization to host events on campus to raise awareness regarding all that our first-generation and low-income students bring to our community and campus. Make sure to choose Student Support Services – FLi Society in the 鈥淚 want to support鈥� box when making your donation.

Donate to SSS

General TRIO Information

TRIO Programs (Upward Bound and Talent Search) were first funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.  Student Support Services (originally Special Services) was created under the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1968, which resulted in the coining of the term TRIO.

The family of federally-funded TRIO programs has since grown to seven with the addition of Educational Opportunity Centers, Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement, Upward Bound Math/Science, and Veterans Upward Bound. 

Student Support Services (SSS) is a college-level TRIO program created to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and facilitate the process of transition from one level of higher education to the next. SSS provides a comprehensive range of academic and other support services to enhance students鈥� academic skills in order to help them reach their educational and career goals. 

Approximately 1,000 community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities now offer TRIO SSS programs across America. TRIO funds are distributed to institutions through competitive grants sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

All program services are provided at no cost to participants.