KINGSVILLE (July 24, 2025) — The Office of Student Access at Texas A&M University-Kingsville has received just over $3 million in grant money for the Student Support Services (SSS) programs. The funds come from the United States Department of Education. The SSS program received $1.8 million while the SSS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program received over $1.36 million, each divided into payments over the next five years.
“These programs are not only important to our students because they provide individualized academic services that promote persistence, but they also will now offer career-focused skill building so that our students are competitive in the workforce once they graduate,” said. Dr. Maria Martinez, associate vice president for student access.
Both programs already assist Texas A&M-Kingsville students, but these grants will extend those services another five years. “They are not traditional renewals or continuations. We don’t receive them automatically. We have to compete nationally every five years for funding and we have to respond to the competitive priorities determined by the U.S. Department of Education,” she added.
“These programs are meaningful and highly impactful. I also think the funding level is remarkable because it means we can provide additional services related to career planning and funding for internships,” Martinez said. “New aspects of the SSS programs will include focused career and internship plans, personal fiscal/budget management plans and career mentoring engagements with industry professionals.”
The two programs serve 360 first-generation, Pell-eligible, undergraduate students each year. Both programs offer peer mentoring, academic tutoring, specialized career counseling, dedicated computer lab access, academic workshops, financial planning and career workshops, graduate school planning trips and grant aid.
The SSS program serves students who are majoring in all fields offered at Texas A&M-Kingsville while the SSS STEM program provides services to those in STEM majors.
The goals of the programs are
- To increase the persistence and graduation rates of eligible university students
- To foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities based on need.
- To help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next.
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