Summer Success Program
2026 Summer Success Program
2026 Summer Success Application
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What is the Summer Success Program?
The SIUE Summer Success Program, which takes place the summer before students’ first fall semester, is a five-week program open to a cohort of newly admitted first-year students who identify as a first-generation college student (neither parent has earned a Bachelor's degree) and/or low-income and/or having a disability. The Summer Success Program is no cost to enrolled participants.
The Summer Success Program’s goal is to help students transition to college by exposing them to the following:
- Academic Courses: Students will have the opportunity to earn up to six (6) credit hours, complete the SIUE health experience graduation requirement, network with professors and other SIUE faculty, and receive ongoing personal, academic, and career advising.
- Campus Resources: The Summer Success Program will connect students to essential SIUE campus resources, including financial aid, counseling and health services, the Career Development Center, ACCESS, and other essential campus resources. Students will meet one-on-one with a staff member and participate in weekly workshops designed to help students understand which resources they will need to succeed at SIUE.
- Social Development: Students will live on campus with their fellow students while taking part in a variety of social events, providing students with the opportunity to make valuable friendships and have a community going into their first full semester. Students will also have opportunities for mentorship, leadership development, and civic engagement.
Program Objectives/Milestones
Through the SIUE Summer Success Program, students will utilize campus resources and develop skills necessary to thrive holistically and reach their goal of graduation. SIUE Summer Success Program students will:
- Show a commitment to their education through engagement and involvement at the University such as student organizations, on-campus employment, and learning communities.
- Enhance skills by utilizing the resources available through a variety of SIUE student support services and resources such as the Loveyjoy Library and Learning Support Services.
- Develop a Summer Success Education Plan by meeting one on one with a staff member during the summer program, as well as meet one on one with program staff at least two times in the fall to discuss their Student Success Plan.
- Seek continuous mentorship from faculty/staff and University programs that connect faculty/staff and students outside of the classroom and in other formal settings.
- Meet with their SIUE mentors throughout their entire first year of college.
Program Outcomes
SIUE Summer Success students will demonstrate:
- Proficiency in navigating through university policies and procedures.
- Successful completion and matriculation into their first full year at SIUE
- Higher retention and graduation rates
The Summer Success Program fits within the SIUE mission and has the potential to impact the University goals and strategic plans in the areas of:
- Increasing overall completion rates
- Increasing completion rates in at-risk and disadvantaged populations
