POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River Community College’s Student Support Services (SSS) department is offering first-time students who plan to attend PRCC in Fall 2021 the opportunity to earn up to nine college credits and pay no tuition this summer.

The SSS department’s 14th Annual Summer Bridge-to-College (START) program on the Poplarville campus offers eligible students the chance to take three PRCC courses: Basic Communication Skills (Reading/English), Basic Computation Skills (Pre-Algebra), and Community College Survival Skills. These courses will count towards the student’s overall grade point average at PRCC but will not count toward graduation.

The program is designed to bridge the transition from high school and/or work to community college. It helps academically underprepared students increase academic skills and preparation for college. The bridge program can also give confidence to non-traditional students who have been out of school for five years or more. It is especially helpful for students with ACT scores below 18 in English, Reading or Math.

The program’s dates are June 30 – July 29 with classes Monday through Thursday plus one Friday.

ELIGIBILITY

Students must complete the following requirements in order to participate:

• Be accepted into PRCC from the admissions department
• Be eligible for Student Support Services (must meet at least one of the three listed below):
  • If neither of your parents graduated from a four-year college
  • If you have a financial need (considered low income by the federal guidelines)
  • If you have a documented disability
• Have an academic need (need to increase academic skills), especially for students with an ACT of 18 or less or students who have been out of school for several years

COST

This program is tuition free if eligible, however there are some costs such as books, online fees and course fees. Students may qualify for a Pell Grant that could possibly cover these costs. To receive a Pell Grant, a student must complete the 2020-21 Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) before beginning the program. SSS employees are available to help with filling out the FAFSA if needed.

SERVICES

The goal of this program is to ensure that students have a successful first semester in college, stay in school, maintain a good academic standing and graduate from PRCC before transferring to a four-year college. The SSS program also provides other services at no charge to its students: one-on-one tutoring; academic, career and financial advising; success workshops; cultural and transfer field trips; transfer assistance; free printing and more.

The program is accepting applications until June 22. The program is limited to 30 participants.

Those interested should contact Student Support Services at (601) 403-1356 or (601) 403-1285 for more information.