TRIO programs- bridging the gap?Gina LoSchiavo

What are TRIO programs?• Federally funded programs that are composed of outreach

and student services programs that are tailored to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds

• Targets low income, first generation and students with disabilities

History and Development• Economic Opportunity Act• Higher Education Act• Reauthorizations

Upward Bound

• First TRIO program created• Created to assist students with their pre-college performance• Currently several thousand students are enrolled in this

program• Receives the most funding out of all TRIO programs• Services;• Saturday College• SAT prep• Application assistance

Talent Search

• Works to identify and assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds

• Services;• Academic, financial and career counseling• Financial education• Assists with re-entry

Student Support Services

• Created in 1968• Originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged

students• Services;• Academic tutoring• Course selection assistance• Financial aid assistance• Admission assistance

Educational Opportunity Centers• Created in 1972• Goal of program is to assists adults who are perusing degrees• Services;• Financial aid counseling• Career workshops• Tutoring• Personal counseling

McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program• Grant competition• Helps students enroll for and complete advanced degrees• Goal to increase the number of underrepresented populations

with Ph. Ds.• Services;• Track student progress• Research opportunities• Helps prepare students for doctoral studies

Training Programs for Federal TRIO Programs Staff• Grant competition• Goal of skill enhancement of TRIO employees• Accomplished through conferences, seminars, and published

materials

Upward Bound Math and Science Program• Focus on building and strengthening student’s math and

science skills• Introduce careers in science and math• Services;• Year-round counseling• Mentorship• Guided research

Veteran’s Upward Bound• Specifically tailored for veterans • Assists with developing academic skills• Help veterans earn a post-secondary education• Services;• Counseling• Mentors• College application assistance

Are TRIO programs effective?• YES!• Student Support Service participants experienced a 22% higher

chance of entering their third year of college• Encourages parental involvement• TRIO students have a higher likelihood of remaining in school and

receiving financial aid • TRIO alumni are successful

• NO!• College outreach programs are not addressing the real problem-

education in the classroom• Offered too late• The educational gap still exists

What sets TRIO apart?• Student-counselor ratio is low• Individualized attention• Intervention at an early age• TRIO employees can relate to their students

Recommendations• Improve and build upon the relationship between high schools

and college outreach programs• Require financial education in all TRIO programs• Networking• Annual evaluations

Conclusion• TRIO programs are important for the progression of

underrepresented populations in higher education• TRIO programs are widespread• TRIO has completely altered the direction of higher education• TRIO can be viewed as a work in progress, changing to meet

the needs of its students• Is TRIO accomplishing its goal? You decide.

Bibliography• Armesto, M. & McElroy, E. (1998). TRIO and Upward Bound: History, programs and issues- past, present & future.

Journal of Negro Education 67: 12-15.

• Becker, J. (1999). Partnerships with families promote TRIO student achievement. Opportunity Outlook.

• Council for Opportunity in Education. (1996). History. Retrieved from http://www.coenet.us/ecm/AM/Template.cfm?Section=History&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7231

• ————. (1996). Programs at a Glance. Retrieved from http://www.coenet.us/ecm/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Programs_at_a_Glance&Template=/CM/HTMLDi splay.cfm&ContentID=7319

• Jardine, J. (2002, May). A Campus Outreach Program Lifts Disadvantaged Local High Schoolers to Higher Education Level. UCSB. Retrieved from http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/upwardbound/History/index.asp.

• Mahoney, R. A. (1998). Components of TRIO’s successes: How one student support services program achieved success. Journal of Negro Education 67: 27-37.

• McCants, J. (Feb. 2003). Do you know TRIO?: A TRIO history fact sheet. Retrieved Fromhttp://www.pellinstitute.org/Clearinghouse/pubs/pdf/The%20Early%20History%20of%20the%20Higher%20Education%20Act%20of%201965.pdf

Bibliography• Perna, L., Rowan, H., & Bell, A. (2008). A typology of federal and state programs designed to promote college enrollment. The Journal of Higher Education 79: 12-20.

• Sail, W. (2002). Preparing America’s disadvantaged for college: Programs that increase college opportunity. New Directions for Institutional Research 2000. doi: 10.1002/ir.10706

• Shelley, C. (1998). TRIO: The unwritten legacy. Journal of Negro Education 67: 35-40.

• TRIO Minnesota. (2010). TRIO Educational Talent Search. Retrieved Council for Opportunity in Education. (1996). History. Retrieved from ://www.mntrio.org/index.php/our-programs/pre-college-programs/50-trio-educational-talent-search.

• U.S. Department of Education. (2010). Federal TRIO programs home page. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

• The University of North Carolina- Greensboro. (2010). TRIO History. Retrieved from http://success.uncg.edu/sss/trio/

• Ward, N. (2006). Improving equity and access for low income and minority youth into institutions of higher education. Urban Education 41. doi: 10.1177/0042085905282253.

• Wendy, J. & Gullatt, Y. (2003). How Do Pre-Collegiate Academic Outreach Programs Impact College-Going among Underrepresented Students? Retrieved from http://www.usc.edu/dept/chepa/IDApays/publications/PrecollegiateOutreachPrograms.pdf

• Yang, H. Institutional Policy Brief. (2009). Financial Education in TRIO Programs. Retrieved from http://www.pellinstitute.org/pdf/Financial_Education_in_TRIO.pdf