The door to the Student Support Services Program was closed Monday — but only temporarily.

This action was not to punish students who enjoy its services, but to show cause for celebrating the renewal of the $1.2 million grant that will ensure the program’s survival for another four years.

Japannah Kellogg, Student Support Services Program director, said a sign on the door read that the Department of Education announced 75 student support service programs across the country lost funding. He said that by shutting down the office for a day, the program wished to make the 250 students to whom it provides services aware of the advantages they enjoy by being involved in the program.

He said the program was developed by TRIO, a federally funded program that helps disadvantaged students progress from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. The Student Support Services Program at Iowa State is a program for under-represented students and first-generation students, Kellogg said.

“If neither of a student’s parents received a four-year education, they are referred to as first-generation students,” Kellogg said.

He said an under-represented student is a student who wouldn’t normally have access to higher education and may be from a low-income family.

“I usually come in to say ‘Hi,’ check my e-mail or start an assignment,” said Tereney McDowell, freshman in animal science. “Today I can’t do that, and it’s kind of a shock.”

the Student Support Services Program office and realizing it was closed.

McDowell said she usually uses the computer lab, printing services and talks to her counselor.

“It’s a quiet place to study,” McDowell said.

Joaquin Alvarez, junior in pre-computer science, said he transferred to Iowa State in the fall and was in a TRIO program at his previous college. He knew he wanted to be involved in the program at Iowa State, too, he said.

“I thought about dropping out, but they kept on my case,” Alvarez said of TRIO.

In a letter Kellogg wrote to students explaining the closing of the program, he wrote about some of the services the program has to offer, like workshops, cultural events, grant aid, service scholarships, tutoring, laptops, use of the computer lab, free copying and printing, use of textbooks and counselors.

Kellogg said that David Romero, senior in biology and a student involved in the program, was the driving force behind the temporary closure because he wanted to raise awareness of what the program does for students. He said Romero thought some students involved in the program took it for granted.