Cal State Monterey Bay was recently awarded a pair of grants from the U.S. Department of Education to help low-income and first-generation college students and students with disabilities complete their education.

A new five-year, $1.09 million grant under the TRIO Student Support Services(SSS) Program will assist 120 students annually in their pursuit of undergraduate degrees in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.The university also received a five-year, $1.2 million grant renewal for its existing Student Support Services program that serves 160 students.

Both programs will offer eligible students services such as academic advising; tutoring; counseling and career advising. The goal is to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements and motivate them to graduate.

TRIO programs were created as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide more opportunities for low-income and first-generation students to prepare for and enroll in college. The term TRIO was coined to describe the first three programs that were created – Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search and Student Support Services. Other programs have been added over the years; the term "TRIO" now refers to all of these programs.

The grants will start Sept. 1.