TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Perren Banks, a sophomore from Uniontown majoring in biological sciences at The University of Alabama, is the recipient of a national scholarship for study abroad this summer at the University of Liverpool in England.

The study abroad program is directed by the Council for Opportunity in Education, a nonprofit organization that serves students from families with incomes under $28,000 and where neither parent graduated from college.

Only 20 students in the country are selected for participation in this program and for the accompanying scholarship to assist in funding.

As a first-generation college student at UA, Banks exemplifies the best qualities of an undergraduate student. His participation in Student Support Services at UA is what enabled him to compete for the scholarship.

SSS is part of the United States Department of Education’s TRIO programs and exists to assist first-generation, low-income college students in their experience by providing a support structure of tutoring, counseling, tuition-waived courses, mentoring, cultural activities and more – all at no cost to participants.

The SSS program at UA celebrated its 30th anniversary last fall. Dianne Teague, academic coordinator with SSS, said that Banks is an outstanding example of the success of its participants.

The European study program “World Citizenship: Building Leadership Skills in a multicultural Society” will examine the role the city of Liverpool played in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The historical legacy of the city and its impact on life and society today will form the basis of study. Growing out of that study will be the examination of Anglo-Irish relations as they relate to such global concerns as war, peace and terrorism. During the weekends, the students will travel to London, Cologne, Germany, Amsterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.