College Awarded $1.36 Million TRIO Grant to Empower First-Generation Students

Continuing its commitment to first-generation and underserved students, Moreno Valley College has secured a five-year, $1.36 million federal grant to sustain its TRIO Academic Counseling and Educational Support (ACES) Student Support Services (SSS) program. The renewed grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, represents a 4% increase from the previous cycle and will ensure ongoing academic and personal support for students who are first-generation, low-income, or have disabilities.

This is the fourth grant cycle for TRIO ACES at MVC, initially funded in 2010. Over the past 14 years, the program has helped more than 2,100 students navigate college, earn degrees, and transfer to four-year universities.

“I am so excited and grateful that Moreno Valley College is able to continue the TRIO pipeline to serve as a bridge for students matriculating into MVC, graduating, and transferring to other colleges,” said Micki R. Grayson, director of the Office of TRIO Programs. “We are proud to be part of a national network of TRIO programs, and especially proud to support MVC’s mission to increase college completion and transfer rates.”

Each year, ACES serves 144 students, offering academic counseling, tutoring, mentoring, financial literacy education, workshops, and transfer guidance. TRIO ACES consistently exceeds federal performance benchmarks in persistence, academic standing, degree and certificate completion, and transfer rates. This strong record helped secure renewal points during the competitive grant process.

Over the past five years, ACES scholars have transferred to institutions including several University of California campuses, California State University campuses, private universities, and colleges outside of California. Alumni have pursued graduate programs at Yale University, the University of Southern California, Pennsylvania State University, and more.

The program also hosts events, such as the Hire, Higher Learning Symposium, which offers mentorship, financial literacy training, career readiness training, and a Dress for Success showcase. ACES students have also participated in initiatives such as the MediGOAL Student Medical Leadership Program, hosted by the Keck School of Medicine and Riverside University Health System.

The impact of the program is best captured through the voices of students who have benefited from the TRIO ACES program:

“TRIO has been a life-changing program for me. They guided me from my first steps at MVC all the way to transferring and graduating in criminal justice,” said Joe Orduno, now pursuing a career in law enforcement.

“ACES helped me envision what was possible. I transferred to UC Irvine and now I’m pursuing my doctorate in translational medicine at Yale University,” said Luis Cuevas.

“Thanks to TRIO, I graduated from Chico State with a degree in mechatronics engineering and earned master’s degrees from USC and Penn State. TRIO works!” said Laura Zavala Lopez.

“TRIO means opportunity. They provide support, resources, and a sense of belonging. They believed in me when I doubted myself,” said Melyssa Blankenship.

Moreno Valley College is one of 872 institutions nationwide to receive TRIO SSS funding in this grant cycle. 

“This funding allows us to continue helping students succeed and transform their futures,” Grayson said. “ACES is more than a program — it’s a community where dreams are realized. TRIO works.”

Students interested in joining TRIO ACES can visit mvc.edu/trio for more information.