A half-million-dollar grant will allow Triton College to take the lead on developing support programs for minority male college students throughout Chicagoland. The $500,000 award comes from the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Foundation. The grant will support a five-year effort to broaden the TRIUMPH (Triton Undergraduate Men Pursuing Higher Education) Program, and develop similar support programs at other regional Hispanic- and minority-serving institutions.  Through the support of the ECMC Foundation, TRIUMPH will expand to provide first-year and transitional support services for all men of color at Triton College. The grant will also allow Triton to work with leaders of three neighboring community colleges to replicate the program.

Students enrolled in TRIUMPH are paired with male staff mentors who help them realize and understand their potential and goals despite perceived social and cultural barriers. TRIUMPH Scholars leave Triton with a deeper understanding of emotion management, conflict resolution, time management, financial literacy and other skills. There are currently 150 students taking advantage of TRIUMPH support at Triton College – which is helping them stay on track to complete their associate degree or transfer to a four-year university. During the five-year grant program, the initiative will reach more than 3,000 students.   In 2011, Triton College was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) by the United States Department of Education. To be designated as an HSI, a college or university must serve a minimum Hispanic student population of 25 percent. Today, Triton serves a 42 percent Hispanic student population.