What is TRIO?

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What is TRIO?

TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs designed to support and motivate students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of higher education. Serving over 850,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities from sixth grade through college graduation, TRIO operates more than 2,800 programs nationwide. These programs offer academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other essential support to enhance educational access and retention. Congress mandates that two-thirds of TRIO participants come from families with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and where neither parent has a college degree. Currently, more than 2,954 TRIO projects serve over 840,000 low-income Americans, including students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as students with disabilities and U.S. veterans. TRIO programs are crucial in addressing educational disparities, as they help low-income students overcome significant barriers to college access and success, which are necessary for a competitive and educated workforce. Low-income students face substantial challenges, with only 38% of high school seniors from this group enrolling in college immediately, compared to 81% from higher-income families, and those who do enroll earn bachelor's degrees at a significantly lower rate—21% versus 45% for their higher-income peers.

 

TRIO History 

The TRIO programs were established as pioneering national efforts to overcome significant social and cultural barriers to education in America. Originating from President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, TRIO began with the Educational Opportunity Act of 1964, which introduced Upward Bound as an experimental initiative. In 1965, the Higher Education Act established Talent Search, and in 1968, Special Services for Disadvantaged Students (later renamed Student Support Services) was launched. This initial "trio" of federally funded programs was designed to expand access to higher education for low-income students.

By 1998, TRIO had evolved into a critical pathway to opportunity, serving a diverse range of individuals, including traditional students, displaced workers, and veterans. The original three programs had expanded to eight, with the addition of Educational Opportunity Centers and Veterans Upward Bound in 1972, the Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs in 1976, the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program in 1986, Upward Bound Math/Science in 1990, and the TRIO Dissemination Partnership in 1998. Today, more than 1,000 colleges, universities, community colleges, and agencies across the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands offer TRIO Programs. These programs are funded through competitive grants, underscoring their continued importance in promoting educational access and success.

 

WKU's TRIO History

Under the initial leadership of Dr. Faye Robinson, WKU received its first TRIO grant with the funding of Student Support Services in 1980. Subsequently, WKU was awarded grants for several other TRIO projects: Educational Talent Search in 1981, TRIO Training Programs in 1982, Upward Bound in 1983, Veterans Upward Bound in 1992, and Educational Opportunity Centers in 2002. The university later secured additional funding for Educational Talent Search 2 in 2011, Educational Talent Search 3 in 2016, and Student Support Services, Disabilities in 2020.