NIU students use various programs for any number of reasons. One that students use is Educational Services and Programs.

Educational Services and Programs is made up of four programs: The Upward Bound Program, Student Support Services, CHANCE and ACCESS.

The Upward Bound program is geared toward high school students while the remaining three programs are for NIU students.

All of these programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and all rely on one another.

When a student arrives at NIU and until they graduate, the support services are there.

The people who are being helped by the services are, for the most part, minorities.

The CHANCE program is designed for students who demonstrate strong motivation and potential for success in college but do not meet one or more of the admission criteria of NIU. Beyond the ACT and high school performance records, CHANCE looks for characteristics such as special talents, significant activities and accomplishments, leadership potential, personal commitment and goal orientation.

CHANCE Director Leroy Mitchell attributes the high minority rate to their targets.

“The CHANCE program targets disadvantaged schools in the community and within America, that typically means African-American or Latino communities,” he said.

Another educational service program is ACCESS (Access to Courses and Careers through Educational Support Services). This program is designed with the intent of helping academically at-risk students through services such as walk-in tutoring services, one-on-one tutoring services, supplemental instruction and other support services.

The fact that the programs mainly service minorities partially can be linked to the fact that the ACCESS office is located next door to CHANCE.

“CHANCE refers a lot of their students to us and we also have students coming in from the Center for Black Studies and URL (University Resources for Latinos),” ACCESS Director Shevawn Eaton said.

The final service within Educational Services and Programs is Student Support Services.

Student Support Services is another program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Its overall purpose is to provide participants with support in achieving their academic and career goals through a variety of services, including peer counseling, Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) tutoring, career exploration activities and career counseling. People who use this program are first-generation college students or those who come from a low-income household.

“We have a fair amount of non-minority students who come in here also,” said Jerry Wright, director of Student Support Services. “What tends to happen, though, is the minority students come in a lot more because they may feel a little more alienated on campus, and here they can find a type of comfort.”

For information on Educational Services and Programs, call 753-0201 or visit www.esp.niu.edu.