POPLARVILLE, Miss. — First-time students planning to attend Pearl River Community College in the fall of 2023 can start the transition to college this summer. The Student Support Services department is offering the opportunity for qualifying students to earn up to nine college credits and pay no tuition as part of the 16^th Annual Summer Bridge-to-College (START) program. 

The START program is offered on the Poplarville campus. Eligible students take three 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 goal of the START program is to ensure that students have a successful first semester in college, stay in school, remain in good academic standing, and graduate from PRCC before transferring to a four-year college. It helps academically underprepared students increase their academic skills and prepare for success at Pearl River.  

Students with ACT scores below 18 in English, Reading or Math find it especially helpful. The bridge program can also give confidence to non-traditional students who have been out of school for five years or more.  

Classes are held Monday through Thursday plus one Friday from June 28 – July 27. Applications are accepted until June 15 with a limit of 30 participants.  

Interested students should contact Student Support Services at (601) 403-1356 or (601) 403-1043 for more information. The application is available at prcc.edu/sbp_start.  

ELIGIBILITY 

Students must complete the following requirements to participate:  

·         Be accepted into PRCC by the admissions department 

·         Be eligible for Student Support Services (must meet at least one of the three listed below): 

·         Neither of your parents graduated from a four-year college 

·         You have a financial need (considered low income by the federal guidelines) 

·         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 

If eligible, the program is tuition free. However, there are some costs the student is responsible for paying such as books, online fees, course fees, and housing if living on campus. Students may qualify for a Pell Grant that could cover these costs. To receive a Pell Grant, a student must complete the 2022-23 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 Student Support Services department 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.