Dear Visitor,

I am pleased to welcome all visitors to the Trio & Special Programs Unit (TSPU) Website, located within the Student Services and Enrollment Management Division at Hillsborough Community College. This site provides information on three successful multimillion-dollar grant programs at the College that deals with educational access, retention and academic persistence on the collegiate and pre-collegiate levels.

Ease of access and navigation to pertinent information are dominant factors evidenced in the design of this site. Here you will find TSPU history, program specific information, successful alumni, personnel pictures, contact and resource information, as well as announcements of TSPU events and activities throughout the academic year.

Our mantra for all three programs, College Reach-Out Program (CROP), Educational Talent Search (ETS) and Student Support Services (SSS) is “Putting Students First in the Pursuit of Excellence.” Please visit our website often and do let us know how best we can continue to serve you.

Derrick Brown, M.P.A.
District Director TRIO & Special Programs
Hillsborough Community College

In accord with the College's mission, the central focus of the TRIO & Special Programs Unit (TSPU) is student access, retention, learning, transfer and success at the pre-collegiate and college levels. Goals of this unit are to increase the retention, graduation and transfer rates of a targeted population from local high schools to college and from HCC to four-year postsecondary institutions respectively. This unit provides a blend of academic, social and cultural services and experiences to a district-wide target population of students attending local high schools and the College. To accomplish unit goals, this unit pursues pre-designated state and federal grants.