An Oasis in an Educational Desert
The enthusiasm and passion that Anneka Rogers Whitmer has for her job are certainly admirable. As the Director of Special Programs at Columbia College, Ms. Whitmer is tireless in promoting the programs and securing the grants that support them. There are eight Special Programs under the umbrella of TRiO, which are federally funded programs designed to assist low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled students in attending college (1). Student Support Services (SOS), Upward Bound, and the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) are just a few of the eight programs offered.
A visit to the Columbia College Website Special Programs site could be valuable. This is the place to begin for those interested in pursuing their education and have no idea how to pay for it, what is needed to succeed, or how to get started.
Special Programs in Danger of Defunding
Columbia College Special Programs recently received a $1.4 million TRiO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. But that is only part of the story. These programs are usually funded for three to five years. Ms. Whitmer said she fears the $1.4M grant could be dissolved after the first year, even though Congress codifies the grants as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (2). Each administration sets the guidelines for these grants; the specifics may vary widely with each new president.
Grant applications currently under review were written over a year ago under the Biden Administration, which, along with prior administrations, required a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) component. The current president claims DEIs are not equitable and therefore should be abolished.
In its third year, the EOC program at Columbia College was to be fully funded for a fourth year; however, the grant was terminated as of September 30 (3). There is concern that the SOS program will soon have its fourth-year renewal pulled.
The depth and breadth of these vital programs provide the “gap filler” for impacted college students. Graduation rates for these students have soared, and hopefully that can continue. Dedicated staff, under the leadership of their enthusiastic director, will strive to make sure that happens.
NOTES
- “TRiO Federally Funded Grants.” Columbia College, 2025.
- Anneka Rogers Witmer, Interview, September 22, 2025.
- “Notice: EOC Services, Hosted by Columbia College, Have Been Canceled Due to Canceled Funding from the Department of Education,” Effective Monday, September 30, 2025, Columbia College.