L.E.A.D. Program

The Leadership Enrichment and Academic Development (LEAD) Program is a federally funded TRIO program designed to promote academic achievement and increase the college graduation rates of first-generation college students and students from economically challenged backgrounds. The LEAD Program provides opportunities for the students to participate in academic skill development workshops and tutoring, peer study and mentoring groups, financial aid resource exploration, cultural enrichment programs, and graduate school preparation. The program also provides financial assistance to students who qualify for grant aid. LEAD students have access to counselors who are trained to foster student development through personal, academic, and career counseling. Early Warning Intervention enables LEAD counselors to identify students who are academically at risk and additional support to students who are making satisfactory progress. Based on U.S. Department of Education federal income guidelines, all students who are eligible to participate in the program are required to enroll in LEAD. The application process must be completed by the student upon arrival to campus, preferably during new student orientation. Eligible students who choose not to participate in LEAD and subsequently fail to attain a 2.0 GPA may have their appeals for readmission or reconsideration of academic sanctions automatically denied.