Support & Empowerment Program
Services for Special Populations as defined by Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V)
Are you ready for a new beginning? We are here to support you!
Eligible Students:
If you are a student enrolled in a Workforce education program (AAS degree or certificate) and meet at least one of the following classifications, McLennan Community College offers special services to help you succeed in college and in life.
- Individual with a disability, registered with MCC's Office of Accommodations
- Economically disadvantaged or low-income individual
- Individual preparing for a non-traditional field for their gender
- Single parent or single pregnant woman
- Out-of-workforce individual or displaced homemakers who have been widowed, left, divorced, or have a disabled spouse
- Individuals whose dominant and native language is not English
- Individual who is experiencing homelessness or has experienced homelessness within the past 12 months
- Current or former foster care youth
- Dependent of an active duty member of the armed forces
After meeting the initial eligibility requirements above, you must also meet ALL of the eligibility requirements listed in the Program Guidelines.
Our Mission:
The Mission of the Support and Empowerment Program (SEP) is to promote student success by providing emotional, academic, and financial support to McLennan Community College students who meet the definition of special populations according to the Carl Perkins Basic Grant.
This program began in 1979 as a community service of the Junior League of Waco, Inc. The focus was on serving single parent and displaced homemaker students at MCC. Since that time this program has helped more than 7,000 students discover within themselves the strength to begin a new life. As of fall 2019, this program has expanded to serve a broader population of students in need.
Services include:
- Reimbursement for textbooks, childcare, and transportation expenses
- Academic Counseling
- Crisis Intervention
- Referrals to Local Agencies
- Stress Management
- Support Meetings
- Workshops on Relevant Topics
Application Instructions
The spring application is now closed. If you previously turned in an application, an SEP staff member will reach out to you to schedule an intake which must be completed no later than Thursday, 12/8 by 5 PM.
Note: Current SEP students in good standing receive priority over new applicants. Eligible students who are not accepted into the program will be placed on a waiting list for availability of funds. All interested students should (re)apply every semester. Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee funding as we have a limited amount of funding available.
Additional application resources:
- Sample Financial Aid Award Letter (PDF)
- How to Find Your Financial Aid Award Letter (Video)
- Sample Student Aid Report (PDF)
- How to Find your Student Aid Report (Video)
- How to fill out SEP Declaration Forms using Adobe Reader (PDF)
- How to fill out a PDF using Adobe Fill & Sign (video)
We look forward to hearing from you! We're always here to help and support you!
Call us at 299-8226 or email us at sep@mclennan.edu Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Contact Us:
Bekah Meek
SEP Success Coach
299-8600
rmeek@mclennan.edu
Carrie Tran
SEP Success Coach
299-8569
ctran@mclennan.edu