Bruin Occupational Student Support
Bruin Occupational Student Support (BOSS) is a program for Perkins-eligible students, powered by the Perkins V Grant. Find out if you’re eligible by filling out the BOSS Eligibility Questionnaire.
What Is BOSS?
BOSS is a student success program at Kellogg Community College managed out of the Center for Student Success designed to support students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs who also identify with one or more Perkins-defined Special Population categories.
What can BOSS help with?
- Getting connected with campus resources
- Required textbooks and materials
- Tuition or account balances
- Program-specific tools, supplies or uniforms
- Certification/board exam fees
- Funding cannot be used for developmental, repeated or non-program courses.
Getting Started with BOSS
Complete the BOSS Eligibility Questionnaire
Complete the BOSS Eligibility Questionnaire linked above to determine whether you qualify as part of a Perkins Special Population. This short screener will ask about your academic program and personal background to see if you meet federal eligibility criteria. Note: This is not a funding application. It is only used to determine eligibility.
BOSS Funding
Funding Application requirements:
- Be enrolled in a qualifying CTE program
- Submit a FAFSA for the current semester
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Submit during the open application window for the semester
- Funding decisions are based on demonstrated financial need and availability of funds. Awards are not guaranteed and may vary each semester.
Funding Application cycles
- Spring 2026 Semester: Application opens early November
- Summer 2026 Semester: Application opens early April
- Fall 2026 Semester: Application opens early August
Eligibility Criteria
CTE Programs
- Accounting
- Administrative Assistant
- Agricultural Science
- Art Enrichment
- Basic EMT
- Business Management
- Community Paramedic Certificate
- Computed Tomorgraphy (CT) Technologist
- Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Technology
- Computer Engineering Technology
- Computer Networking
- Computer Programming
- Corrections
- Criminal Justice
- Cyber Security
- Dental Hygiene
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary and Secondary Education
- Emergency Medical Services
- Exercise Science
- Global and International Studies
- Graphic Design
- Human Services
- Industrial Electricity and Electronics
- Industrial Machining Technology
- Industrial Maintenance Technician
- Industrial Mechanic
- Industrial Millwright
- Industrial Pipefitting
- Industrial Technology
- Industrial Trades
- Industrial Welding
- Industrial HVACR
- Instrumentation
- Law Enforcement
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Machinist
- Maintenance Technician
- Nursing
- Nursing Assistant Training (CNA)
- Music Enrichment
- Paramedic
- Photography and Multimedia
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Public Safety
- Radiography
- Retail Management
- Skilled Trades
- Sports Management
- Web Design and Development
English Learner
English Learners are students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses.
Out of Workforce Individuals
Out of Workforce Individuals are individuals who:
- Are underemployed or unemployed and experiencing difficulty in obtaining employment or upgrading employment AND
- Have worked primarily without remuneration to care for a home and family, and for that reason has diminished marketable skills, OR
- Have been dependent upon the income of another family member but areno longer supported by that income, OR
- Are parents whose youngest dependent child will become ineligible to receive assistance under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) not later than two years after the date on which the parent applies for assistance under this title
Individuals with a Disability
Individuals with a Disability are individuals having any of the disabilities as defined in Section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Economically Disadvantaged
Economically Disadvantaged individuals are individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children. These individuals must be either a Pell Grant recipient or recipient of some other form of financial assistance, and/or a migrant.
Nontraditional Training and Employment Participant
Nontraditional Training and Employment Participants are individuals enrolled in an occupational program considered nontraditional for his/her gender as determined by National Labor Statistics and State year-end program enrollment data. These occupations or fields of work generally include careers in computer science, technology and other emerging high-skill occupations for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed in each occupation or field of work.
Single Parent or Single Pregnant Person
Single Parent or Single Pregnant Person individuals are those who are:
- Unmarried or separated from a spouse AND
- Have a minor child or children for which the parent has either custody or joint custody OR
- Are unmarried or separated from a spouse and are pregnant
Unhoused Individuals
Homeless Individuals are those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.
Individuals Aged Out of the Foster Care System
The term “foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the state agency has placement and care responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Placements in foster family homes
- Foster homes of relatives
- Group homes
- Emergency shelters
- Residential facilities
- Child care institutions
- Preadoptive homes
The term “age out” refers to the time frame after which a foster care child is eligible for state services. Transitioning out of the child welfare system may occur as early as age 18 or as late as age 23.
