UW-La Crosse’s Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies runs a community engagement program, The Self-Sufficiency Program (SSP), a free, pre-college class that helps participants explore academic and career interests and practice college-level skills in a supportive setting. Since 1988, the program has provided continuous support, education, and tools for single parents and other adults to pursue their dreams of going to college. Offered each fall and spring semester, the 8-week evening class meets weekly on the UWL campus, with free childcare available on-site.
Everyone is welcome to attend the 2026 Self-Sufficiency Locally Grown Scholarship Breakfast on Friday, October 9, 2026, 7:30am-9:00am, in the Bluffs Ballroom, Student Union, at UW-La Crosse. The annual Breakfast is free, features an inspiring message, recognizes SSP graduates and their families, and gathers SSP donors and friends to say thank you. It is a heartwarming affirmation of the power of education to change lives, often two generations at a time! Save the date! More information on the forthcoming breakfast on SSP’s Facebook page.
Read an article highlighting how the Self-Sufficiency Program helped one graduate restart their college journey to later become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine!
Read about the program’s mission and goals on the UW-La Crosse SSP program page.
See the SSP video, “I know I can do it” on how the program prepares adults to be successful.