Winsted, CT_ Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) is pleased to announce the recent award of $30,000; $10,000 each year for the next three years from Northwest Community Bank to support students enrolled in Team Success Scholars (TSS), NCCC’s college success program.

TSS is primarily supported through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, whose funds are administered through the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. Eligibility requirements for the highly successful TSS program include students who are facing barriers such as poverty, homelessness, disabilities, or English language fluency.

“The support from Northwest Community Bank allows us to serve more students, beyond those eligible under WIOA guidelines” said TSS Director, Susan Dichter. “This not only strengthens our TSS cohort and peer learning communities, but also demonstrates a strong partnership committed to student success. We are very grateful for Northwest Community Bank’s continuing support,” she said.

The success of the TSS program speaks for itself: TSS students hold higher grade point averages, stay in college, and graduate sooner than non-TSS students. In 2017, Northwest Community Bank agreed to fund five students for three years. These students successfully graduated in May 2020, and like most TSS graduates before them, ranked higher than average academically.

“Northwest Community Bank is pleased to continue our support of the NCCC Team Success Scholars, a program which has been incredibly successful in providing an educational framework which is shaping the lives of numerous students within our community,” said Stephen Reilly, bank president and CEO. “We commend the entire staff at NCCC for their ingenuity and dedication in administering this program, and we are honored to partner with them in such an impactful community initiative.”

In addition to the funding for TSS students, Northwest Community Bank has also donated an additional $2,000 to the NCCC Student Emergency Fund, which provides short-term financial support for students who have an unexpected and immediate financial need.

“We are truly grateful for the funding from Northwest Community Bank in support of our TSS candidate students who want to gain the education needed to overcome the barriers holding them back,” said NCCC President Michael Rooke. “The continued support of both our TSS and Student Emergency Fund programs by Northwest Community Bank is a testament to their commitment to the students of Northwestern and the community as a whole. We greatly appreciate all that they have done for NCCC.”