by What I’m about to say will blow your mind — ready? Rogers Student Center has a third floor! This is where you’ll find both TRIO programs—SSS and EOC. Movies have often painted college like a fairy tale, but the reality is that college requires a lot of dedication. Navigating college can be overwhelming, which is why TRIO exists.
TJC has two TRIO programs: Student Support Services (SSS) and the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC). Keep reading to learn more about how these TRIO programs can help you navigate college and which program is right for you!
Educational Opportunity Center
The Educational Opportunity Center, or EOC, serves students in Cherokee, Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties and helps you plan the education and training needed to move up in life. Fun fact: We serve about 1,000 students! The EOC team shows students how to navigate the admissions and financial aid process so you can enroll in a senior college of your choice. At EOC, we will help you:
- Fill out your FAFSA
Oct. 1: I know it’s probably not your birthday, but Oct. 1 is an important date because this is when the FAFSA officially opens. The FAFSA lets the school know if any money should be awarded you to help pay for college. We get it—filling out the application can be hard the first time! You don’t have to complete the FAFSA on your own. Our EOC team is trained and ready to help you with the application.
- Learn about how to manage money
College can be an opportunity to explore your newfound freedom, but you’ll want to do so cautiously. Our EOC team has workshops to help you positively navigate handling your finances responsibly.
- Choose a career
If you have absolutely no idea what you want to do for the rest of your life, or you know what you want to do but need help getting there, EOC is a great resource! Our workshops will give you a road map of how to get to your dream career from TJC and beyond!
- Apply for future college and scholarships
Essays. Signatures. Parent’s information. Oh my! College and scholarship applications can be overwhelming at times. The EOC team is equipped to help students with both.
Student Support Services
You’ve probably seen students walking around campus with bright red TRIO lanyards on and thought, “What’s TRIO?” Wonder no more! TRIO stands for “Touching lives, Reaching out, Increasing knowledge, Opening doors.” This free program offers you:
- A Supportive Community
With over 12,000 students on TJC’s campus, it’s important to get connected to a community. TRIO Student Support Services is designed to support 200 students who are either first-generation, low-income or have a disability. Our dedicated staff work with students on a one-on-one basis to ensure they are successful not only at TJC, but also in their future endeavors.
- Cultural Enrichment
We don’t like to stay stuck behind our desks all day! We participate in several activities, such as theatrical plays, museums and community service to help students become well rounded.
- Help with your next steps
Have you ever looked at a school online and wanted to visit it, but didn’t have the means to do so? TRIO SSS takes care of that. We visit several schools each year, including Sam Houston State University, University of North Texas, Stephen F. Austin State University, and more. The car games and bonding experience are an added bonus!
- Tutoring
TRIO has professional tutors designated specifically for our students and pays for additional tutoring in the library. If you’re looking to do well in your classes, we’ve got you covered.
- Cost-free benefits
You can benefit from a well-established organization, free printing, a textbook library, and a supportive community absolutely free!
We are always looking to add more students to the TRIO family! We’ve had several students be successful through the programs, and we’d love for you to be one of them. For more information and to apply, visit tjc.edu/trio or call us at (903) 510-2621.
