Shasta College has been awarded a $288,500 annual grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue operating its Federal TRIO Talent Search program, ensuring that 577 students in Shasta County will continue receiving intensive support to prepare for, apply to, and succeed in postsecondary education. The Department awarded the grant through its fiscal year 2026 Talent Search competition. Shasta College will receive approximately $1,442,500 over the five-year grant cycle, subject to continued federal appropriations.
Talent Search is one of the Federal TRIO Programs, a group of college-access and student-success initiatives serving students from low-income families and students who would be the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree.
This award means that students and families in our local service area can continue counting on Talent Search to help them turn their aspirations into opportunities,” said Katie Littlepage, Interim Director of Student Services (TRIO) at Shasta College. “Our students have enormous potential. What Talent Search provides is the information, encouragement, relationships, and hands-on support that help them navigate a path that can be especially complicated when you are the first person in your family preparing for college. We are thrilled to continue standing beside them.”
For Shasta College, this award continues a Talent Search program that has served the community since 2006, building upon 20 years of Talent Search service.
“Shasta College believes that a student’s family income or whether their parents attended college should never determine how far that student can go,” said Superintendent/President Dr. Frank Nigro. “This federal investment allows us to continue meeting students where they are and equipping them with the knowledge, preparation, and confidence to pursue the future they envision.”
