What are Trio Programs?
TRiO Programs are federal outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged and first-generation college backgrounds. Middle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence (MGCAE) hosts three of the TRIO programs: Educational Talent Search (ETS), Upward Bound (UB), and Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS). These three programs assist students in completing their secondary education and successfully transition into post-secondary education.
Who is served?
As mandated by Congress, two-thirds of the students served must come from families with low incomes, where neither parent graduated from college. More than 2,850 TRiO projects currently serve more than 830,000 low-income Americans. There are 49 Veterans Upward Bound programs funded. Many programs serve students in grades six through 12. Thirty-seven percent of TRiO students are Whites, 35% are African-Americans, 19% are Hispanics, 4% are Native Americans, 4% are Asian-Americans, and 1% are listed as “Other,” including multiracial students. More than 7,000 students with disabilities and approximately 6,000 U.S. veterans are currently enrolled in the TRiO Programs as well.
How does it work?
More than 1,000 colleges, universities, community colleges, and agencies now offer TRiO Programs in America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. TRiO funds are distributed to institutions through competitive grants.
Why are the TRiO programs important?
The United States needs to boost both its academic and economic competitiveness globally. In order to foster and maintain a healthy economy as well as compete globally, the United States needs a strong, highly-educated, and competent workforce. To be on par with other nations, the country needs students, no matter their background, who are academically prepared and motivated to achieve success.
The growing achievement gap in our country is detrimental to our success as a nation. There is a tremendous gap in educational attainment between America’s highest and lowest income students – despite similar talents and potential. While there are numerous talented and worthy low-income students, relatively few are represented in higher education, particularly at America’s more selective four-year colleges and universities. While nearly 67% of high-income, highly-qualified students enroll in four-year colleges, only 47% of low-income, highly-qualified students enroll. Even more startling, 77% of the least-qualified high-income students go on to college, while roughly the same proportion of the most-qualified low-income students go on to college. (ACSFA 2005)
Adapted from https://coenet.org/