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Perks

Perks of Being an SSS Participant

Some of the FREE services and programs we provide include:

Career/Academic/Personal Guidance
Students are assisted in finding solutions to personal goals and in developing an awareness of educational and career goals. Personal, career, and academic advisement is available on both an individual and group basis. Students are required to participate in a scheduled counseling calendar. A full-time staff member is assigned to work with each student. The contact is frequent and continuous throughout the student’s tenure at the college.

Individualized Tutoring/Academic Coaching
Our program and tutors are nationally certified by the National Tutoring Association. Each semester, a bank of tutors are hired and trained to serve in all major academic areas. These tutors are available to all program students whenever the student or the student’s counselor feels that additional study, remediation, or review is necessary to the academic success of the student.

Supplemental Instruction
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic enrichment program that utilizes peer assisted study sessions. SI targets historically difficult academic courses and offers to SSS students regularly scheduled, out-of-class, review sessions. SI study sessions are informal seminars in which students form a learning community to compare notes, develop organizational tools. The Supplemental Instruction Leader is a student who has completed the course with the same instructor and received an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ in the class. The SI Leader attends lecture every day and knows what is happening in class. They will then facilitate study groups that are interactive, engaging, and review the information covered in the course. Since the SI Leader has previously taken the class with the instructor, they are aware of the information that the instructor finds important and how they generally evaluate students.

Peer Mentoring Program
Peer Mentors are chosen by the Director at the beginning and end of each academic year. Mentoring allows the student to take part in the age-old ancestral tradition of paving the way for someone else. Peer Mentors aid participants in the academic, personal, and social adjustment of first-year students. A participant must have completed at least two semesters of coursework with a minimum 2.5 cumulative to be eligible to serve as Peer Mentors. Peer Mentors may receive between $900.00-1500.00 in scholarship funds.

Financial Aid Advisement
Student Support Services students receive assistance from our staff to ensure that both federal and college financial aid forms are correctly completed and filed before deadlines, thus insuring continued and much needed financial assistance to this predominantly low-income population.

Financial Literacy 101 On-Line Course
Participants are required to take an on-line Financial Literacy 101 course. This course is offered through Decision Partners, Inc. Financial Literacy 101 is an online financial literacy course designed specifically for college students. The one hour course is multimedia and interactive in its design. Subject matter includes: avoiding credit card debt, avoiding identity theft, creating a budget, choosing the right bank account, understanding credit reports and credit scores, and debt reduction strategies. The course is designed to assist participants, in understanding short and long term consequences of financial decisions. At the end of each section participants complete an exam for proof of mastery of subject matter. At the conclusion of the course, students will have developed a personal financial plan that includes short, medium, and long term financial goals.

Workshops
SSS staff organizes a variety of workshops and group counseling experiences, which address such topics as stress, financial literacy, career exploration, and test anxiety. Other group sessions may be arranged depending on the needs of the students.

Cultural Programs
Each fall and spring semester, SSS will offer cultural events for our participants. Students are informed of these events in the SSS Newsletter. These events are off campus, which provides a cultural tie to the outside and learning environment.

Transfer Assistance/Campus Visits
In addition to cultural events and workshops, SSS provides field trips to 4-year private and public universities every fall and spring semester. Reservations are conducted with the Academic/Career Specialist.

The Scholarship Program
Student Support Services awards scholarships that the student may use to pay on student loans, tuition, room and board fees, on books, and academic expenses. In addition, this scholarship will not reduce any other student aid the recipient presently receives. All awards are given at the end of the semester as each awardee' is expected to fulfill the requirements of the program.

Laptop Loan Program
We have developed a Laptop Loan program that allows a member of SSS to check out a laptop for a period of time to do homework or research.

Computer Lab Access
SSS has its own computer lab to help its participants to gain and improve essential skills in areas such as computer/word processing and developing research skills.
  
SSS Alumni Association
We encourage former participants of SSS at ABAC to help establish an Alumni Association by sending us your contact information. The SSS Alumni Association is here to keep you connected to the program. With this in mind, we desire to communicate regular news and updates on the program and provide a network for SSS alumni to interact with current SSS participants. SSS is always interested in hearing from past participants. We desire for each former participant to update us on your life.