Saint Elizabeth University Awarded Federal Grant to Expand Student Support Services
Saint Elizabeth University stands in prayerful support of Pope Leo XIV as he embarks on his papal journey, and reaffirms its dedication to the enduring principles of Catholic Social Teaching—now echoed from Rome with new and historic resonance.
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 ambitious yet attainable 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 comprehensive 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 critical 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.
This multi-year grant underscores the Department of Education’s confidence in SEU’s capacity to deliver measurable outcomes and long-term impact.
For SEU, which has long championed access, affordability, and opportunity in higher education, the award represents an extension of its historic mission to prepare students not only for professional success but also for lives of leadership and service.
About Saint Elizabeth University (SEU)
Founded in 1899 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) is an accredited, private, four-year, Catholic institution located in Morristown, New Jersey. Originally established as one of the first Catholic colleges for women in the United States, SEU has since evolved into a coeducational, comprehensive university offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across more than 39 areas of study.
For over a century, SEU has been dedicated to advancing access, opportunity, and social mobility in higher education. The university consistently ranks among the top institutions nationwide for its impact on the social mobility of its students, many of whom are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Rooted in a tradition of service and leadership, SEU prepares graduates to make meaningful contributions to their professions, their communities, and the broader world. To learn more, visit steu.edu.
Katherine Machado O'Hara
The O'Hara Project
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