Funding was in limbo Monday for two of the 15 TRIO Student Support Services programs in Montana following initial grant denials from the federal Department of Education, according to TRIO leaders.

TRIO programs help students who are first in their families to go to college, have lower incomes or live with disabilities.

David James, TRIO director at Fort Peck Community College, said Monday his college has a “legacy program,” funded since the 1980s, and it has appealed its initial grant denial, The Daily Montanan reports.

The status is pending.

However, the current grant runs only through Tuesday, and on Wednesday, James said the 230 students served through TRIO at the tribal college may not have the mentoring or tutoring or other support offered by the program.

“There will be nobody

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