TRiO refers to six programs (originally only three) funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965. This Title IV program is part of the series of programs in President Johnson's War on Poverty, like federal financial aid. While federal financial aid helps students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRiO programs help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
Eastern New Mexico University has had three TRiO programs for over 30 years: Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and Student Support Services (College Success Program).
The Federal TRiO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRiO includes six outreach and support programs to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college, and disabled students to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. Students enrolled in today's TRiO Programs mirror our nation's multicultural and multiethnic society. TRiO services focus on students from families with incomes under $24,000 in which neither parent has graduated from college.
Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates at which participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Students in the Upward Bound program are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in TRiO. Currently, 772 programs, serving over 56,000 students, operate throughout the United States. fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance.
Educational Talent Search identifies and assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to the postsecondary school. Talent Search also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to re-enter the educational system and complete their education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in the postsecondary education institution of their choice. The 361 Talent Search programs serve over 323,000 students.
Student Support Services (known at Eastern as the College Success Program) is designed to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and facilitate the process of transition from one level of higher education to the next. The College Success Program provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements and helps motivate students to successfully complete their postsecondary education. The Student Support Services (SSS) program may also provide grant aid to current SSS participants who are receiving federal Pell grants. Currently, 944 SSS programs serve almost 200,000 college students.