- Educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstance.
- A series of federally-funded programs established by Congress in 1965 to help low-income Americans enter college, graduate, and go on to contribute to American societal and economic life.
- Programs that are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are referred to as the TRiO Programs (initially just three programs).
- Programs that help students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to higher education.
TRiO Student Support Services:
TRiO Student Support Services provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements, and serves to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education. The goal of TRiO SSS is to increase the retention and graduation rates of its participants and to help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next.
More Information on TRiO Programs:
Council for Opportunity in Education
The Council for Opportunity in Education is a nonprofit organization established in 1981 that is dedicated to furthering the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the United States. Through its numerous membership services, the Council works in conjunction with colleges, universities, and agencies that host TRiO Programs to specifically help low-income students enter college and graduate.
Federal TRiO Programs include: Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans' Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, and Training Grants. Federal TRiO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to provide relevant training to directors and staff. TRiO includes five outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs, and one training grant program for staff.