CCRI receives $477K for Rhode Island Educational Talent Search program serving first-generation and low-income students

MEGHAN HUGHES, Community College of Rhode Island president, said, “We are thrilled that this grant award will allow the program to continue its 25-year tradition of providing critical college access and planning support services to more than 1,000 students from Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket.”
 / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
MEGHAN HUGHES, Community College of Rhode Island president, said, “We are thrilled that this grant award will allow the program to continue its 25-year tradition of providing critical college access and planning support services to more than 1,000 students from Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket.” / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

WARWICK – A $476,854 federal Educational Talent Search grant for the Community College of Rhode Island was announced this week by U.S. Sens. Jack F. Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline.
The federally-funded program is designed to provide low-income and first-generation college students still in school personalized services in order to gain essential access to college and the opportunity to succeed beyond secondary school.
The Rhode Island Educational Talent Search program, provided by CCRI, assists students from grades 6 through 12 with an array of services, from developing effective study skills to preparing for tests to career counseling and financial aid application. CCRI has been offering this program for 25 years, according to the college’s president, Meghan Hughes.
“We are thrilled that this grant award will allow the program to continue its 25-year tradition of providing critical college access and planning support services to more than 1,000 students from Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket,” Hughes said.
RIETS serves the entire state while providing comprehensive services to 10 target schools in Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket. According to the program, 40 percent of the families in these target communities live at or below 150 percent of poverty and 76 percent of adults (25 years and older) do not have a bachelor’s degree.
“Low-income students, particularly those in low-performing schools, face an uphill battle when it comes to pursuing higher education. We must break the cycle and provide the resources and support necessary to put young people on a path to success,” Langevin said in a statement. “I commend CCRI on the progress of the Talent Search program thus far, and I congratulate them on winning this grant so that they can continue to identify, support and empower promising students who will become Rhode Island’s educators, innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”

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