Veteran TCC staffer back on campus to help students thrive

Meet Mel Scott.

You’ll find her weekdays helping students at TCC’s new Student Resource and Empowerment Center (SREC).

“I’m passionate about helping students build a better life for themselves and their families,” she said. “We’re here to help students thrive while breaking down any barriers that could impede their education.”

Scott said she’s often surprised that students just don’t know what services and financial resources are available to them. “We make it easy to find those resources so they can save money for other things like books and childcare,” she said.

The Student Resource and Empowerment Center includes a Single Stop site that connects students with a variety of free and comprehensive social services and financial resources to help them stay focused on their academic goals. The college-wide initiative includes case managers on every TCC campus.

The SREC also has a Career Collection on every campus, where students can pick out a free, professional outfit for that important interview, internship or leadership opportunity.

Scott is a TCC alumna who is working on her Ph.D. in human services at Liberty University. She has 25 years of experience helping people do well in every area of their lives. She recently returned to TCC to become the lead case manager for the SREC.

Interested in learning more? Want to meet with Scott in person or via Zoom? Reach out to her by emailing mlscott@tcc.edu or by calling 757-822-1175. Or fill out the Single Stop benefit screener, and Scott will get back to you.

Student Resource and Empowerment Center at Portsmouth Campus. — Student Resource and Empowerment Center on Portsmouth Campus.

TCC students in need of support services can find them at a Single Stop

Tidewater Community College is now offering Single Stop, a “one-stop shop” for students to get resources to assist in keeping them enrolled.

The free nonprofit program connects students to comprehensive social support and financial resources so they can achieve academic success.

Among them:

Benefit screening for federal and state food and nutrition programs, health insurance and transportation assistance
Tax preparation services, including having your taxes filed for free by a certified tax preparer
Legal counseling with guidance on public benefits, housing, employment and immigration issues
Financial education with guidance in budgeting, debt management, banking and credit counseling

Students interested in learning about their eligibility for these benefits and resources can complete a profile using the online self-screening tool. Eligibility will be calculated automatically.

Visit www.tcc.edu/singlestop with questions or call 757-822-1111.

Single Stop is one of many support services the college is providing to see students through the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional services include virtual tutoring and academic advising, specialized support for military-related students and online library support. Students in need of a computer can contact TCC’s computer club, Computers for Students Success, at 757-512-5807.