Student Support Services

What is Student Support Services?
Who qualifies for Student Support Services?
What benefits can Student Support Services provide?
How can I get involved and what is required of me?
Where is the Student Services Office?
Who works in the Student Support Office?
What do students have to say about Student Support Services?

What is Student Support Services?

Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded project that provides eligible students additional support to graduate or transfer to a four year institution to continue their studies.

North Arkansas College is pleased to have hosted an SSS program since 1977. In the past thirty years, this program has helped thousands of students reach their goals and now serves 180 students each semester.

Who qualifies for Student Support Services?

You qualify if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and

Neither of your parents received a bachelor's degree before you were age 18
Or you have a documented disability
Or your income is low according to the federal definition of a low income
And you have an academic need

What benefits can Student Support Services provide?

SSS can give you a way to explore yourself and your goals.
New freshman often change their majors 2 to 4 times before they graduate, especially if they have not had exposure to a variety of career opportunities. SSS provides career and academic counseling to help you identify and refine your goals so you can finish your education as efficiently as possible.

SSS can help you explore ways to reach your goals.
Students who continue in school to achieve their goals tend to be those who get involved with other students to form learning communities. SSS helps students form study and social groups that contribute to their success and in turn give them a chance to contribute to the success of others.

SSS can provide you with extra financial assistance.
Each year SSS awards several monetary scholarships of around $400 each to cover the expenses other financial aid has not covered.

SSS can broaden your horizons with campus tours and cultural excursions.
Many freshmen have not had many opportunities, if any, to visit university campuses. SSS sponsors tours to give SSS participants a firsthand look at area universities. Often these trips are combines with excursions to see performances of plays and other productions with tickets provided by SSS.

SSS can take you on a spring break trip.

"SSS students having fun in San Antonio"
Each year during spring break Student Support Services staff accompany ten SSS students on a four day trip to a place of cultural or historic interest. SSS pays for airfare, lodging and entrance fees for scheduled attractions; students are responsible for their own food, souvenirs, and other purchases.

SSS can lend you computer equipment.
For a very small refundable deposit SSS participants may borrow a laptop computer for one week at a time. In addition, the SSS program has a small computer lab to be used solely by SSS participants.

SSS can help you transfer to a four year university.
If you decide you want to continue your education at a four year university, SSS will help you make the switch by working with the university to arrange the most advantageous credit transfer possible.

How do I get involved and what is required of me?

Get involved
The first step is to determine eligibility. SSS staff members use admission applications and other records to determine eligibility.

If you believe you might be eligible but have not heard from the SSS office, you may stop by the Career Center and fill out a Student Support Services intake form.

The program is funded to accept only 180 students at any time; so many eligible students may not be admitted to the program. Preference is given to AA degree seeking students planning to transfer to a four year institution.

Stay involved
SSS students are required to participate in at least two listed activities each semester.

Where is the Student Support Services Office?

The Student Support Services staff offices are located in the Career Center (M188) across the hall from the Registrar's Office and just west of the bookstore on the South Campus.

Who works in the Student Support Services Office?

Robert Markle
Robert Markle, Tutor/Career Supervisor with Student Support Services for fifteen years, was the first person in his family to complete a college education, so he is very well aware of the special needs and concerns of first generation students. Mr. Markle finished his education with Pell Grants, SEOG and student educational loans. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas and a master's degree from Kansas State University. Before coming over to Student Support Services, he served as an Educational Talent Search Representative for North Arkansas College. In addition to his work at SSS, Mr. Markle teaches evening U.S. history classes at Northark.

Kim Brecklein
Ms. Brecklein, SSS Director, was also a first generation college student. She pursued her undergraduate education with help from grants, work study and part-time jobs, then completed her master's degree from Arkansas State University with an assistantship. She has worked almost her entire career with high risk students. For fourteen years she taught and performed other professional duties at Tulsa Community College's Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing while occasionally teaching mainstream developmental writing classes. She joined North Arkansas College's Student Support Services in early 2007.

Rose Halliday
Rose Halliday, Transfer Counselor, just recently joined Student Support Services but has been employed by Northark for 18 years. Ms. Halliday was the first member of her family to graduate college. She obtained her associates degree from Northark when her children were very young so she understands the pressure of being both a parent and a student. When her children were older she obtained her BSE from the University of Arkansas, paying for college using Pell Grants and student loans. Ms. Halliday plans on pursuing her Masters in College Counseling in the near future. In addition to her duties with SSS she also teaches a non credit class in Microsoft Word.

Carrie Moore
Carrie Moore, SSS Secretary, came to Student Support Services after more than four years at the Educational Opportunity Center, another TRIO program at Northark, Ms. Moore began at Northark right out of high school, left school, and returned later as a single mother. Like other SSS staff members, Ms. Moore was first generation, nontraditional student. With her background, she brings empathy and experience to her work. She has been with SSS since late 2006.