Photo Courtesy of TRIO SSS ACES/ACES students dressed and ready for graduation.

College of the Desert provides many resources to help students stay on track to meet their higher education goals. One of those many resources is TRIO SSS ACES, an academic counseling and education services program. The program aims to help “first-generation, low-income students” and walk them through the steps to reach their goals, such as class registration, counseling, and connecting students with tutors for challenging classes. Their mission statement sets clear intentions for what they aim to accomplish:

To assist first-generation, low-income students, and college students with disabilities, in the graduation and transfer process from College of the Desert, and to strengthen their preparation for the successful completion of their Bachelor’s degree goal.

While TRIO SSS ACES is part of the TRIO program at College of the Desert, it still stands out from the standard counseling provided on campus. TRIO SSS ACES Counselor and Coordinator Adell Bynum takes pride in the program’s ability to “build a community” with the students. With 175 students and four counselors, Bynum claims the one-on-one relationship with students is solid and that they even refer to the students as “family’. She says the program not only helps with academics but “personal things” and “financial things” as well.  Bynum explains that sometimes students come to her and say that they love this program because it is nice to “just be able to communicate their needs and what they are a little confused about.”

Bynum states that there are several ways that students can learn about it. She explains that professors and faculty often advise students to utilize the program’s services if they are looking for additional support. TRIO ACES also participates in various campus activities to advertise its services and provide students with contact information and general information about the program.

While TRIO ACES is a service open to COD students, certain requirements must be met:

1. There has to be proof of financial need – proof of federally established low-income
2. The student must be a first-generation college student
3. There has to be an “academic need” as well as “academic potential”
4. Students must be planning on graduating and transferring into a four-year institution
5. Freshman status must be met (have completed 12 or ore transferrable course units with a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA)
6. Student must be a full-time student meaning they are taking 12 or more units per semester
7. P3 provisions waived the citizenship requirements until September 30, 2026

TRIO ACES provides its students with numerous benefits for partaking in its services such as:

1. Priority Registration for classes
2. Individualized Academic Counseling
3. Access to free tutoring
4. Numerous Student Development and Student Success workshops provided by COD
5. Instructional Support Assistance
6. Access to a Computer Lab, PC Support, and access to free printing
7. College Tours/Cultural Events
8. Academic Recognition and Graduation ceremony and Transfer Ceremony
9. Help with filing FAFSA and Applying for Scholarships

Bynum, and the rest of the staff of the ACES programs as a whole, invite all students to speak with them and apply for their programs if needed. They can be contacted at [email protected] or called at 760-776-7347.