Saint Elizabeth University Awarded Grant to Expand Student Support Services

On Oct 13, 2025

Saint Elizabeth University (SEU), Morristown, has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Project that will provide educational opportunities for students who face significant barriers to success in higher education. The five-year award will allow SEU to deliver support to eligible students, equipping them with the tools, resources, and confidence to persist, thrive, and graduate.

The TRIO Student Support Services Project will serve 140 students each year, offering tailored academic and personal support grounded in tutoring, individualized advising, and financial aid guidance. Students will also receive assistance with graduate school applications, financial literacy education, and holistic support for both academic and non-cognitive needs. In doing so, the project directly addresses challenges faced by many SEU undergraduates – approximately 75 percent of whom meet the federal eligibility criteria for participation.

“This award is both a recognition of the critical need at Saint Elizabeth University and a powerful affirmation of our mission,” said Dr. Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., president of Saint Elizabeth University. “With more than three-quarters of our undergraduates eligible for Student Support Services, this grant equips us to meet our students where they are and help them achieve their full potential. It is about more than academic support, it is about transforming lives.”

The initiative is built around three objectives: persistence from one academic year to the next or graduation, maintaining good academic standing, and graduating within six years. Each objective is paired with a service delivery plan that includes a detailed recruitment process, robust academic and personal support programming, and continuous evaluation to ensure accountability and effectiveness.

“The TRIO Student Support Services Project represents a comprehensive, research-based strategy to improve persistence, retention, and graduation rates among our most vulnerable student populations,” said Dr. Anthony B. Santamaria, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Saint Elizabeth University. “We are grateful for this opportunity to deepen our commitment to student success and to ensure that higher education remains both accessible and impactful.”

The SEU SSS Project also aligns with two federal funding priorities. First, it supports efforts to increase postsecondary attainment and reduce the cost of college by creating clearer transfer pathways and ensuring course credit transfers are seamless and transparent. Second, it advances the establishment of high-quality data collection and analysis systems that track persistence, retention, completion, and post-college outcomes, strengthening both transparency and institutional improvement.

The award provides nearly $1.4 million in funding over five years, underscoring the Department of Education’s confidence in SEU’s ability to deliver meaningful results.

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