The TRIO programs, a collection of
federally funded programs designated to prepare low-income and
first-generation students [1] for college success, began over 50
years ago with the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 [2] and a
pilot program called Upward Bound. With the vision of Lyndon B.
Johnson's "War on Poverty," and in collaboration with several
leaders of the time, including, but not limited to, Martin Luther
King, Jr. [3], Congress passed the Higher Education Act of 1965
[4] and solidified the importance of a college education, not
only for those who were financially capable of attending, but for
all students regardless of their financial status. Through programs
from the "Great Society," the Johnson Administration emphasized the
importance of the higher education system and believed that these
institutions were places that could facilitate the rising of the
poor above their financial circumstances so they could become
equals in a society that was stricken with inequality.
Since that time, there have been
several amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, some of
which have resulted in the removal of programs (Title I, Community
Service and Continuing Education Programs [5]), the narrowing of
programs (Strengthening Developing Institutions [6]), or the
building up of programs within the bill. Despite funding challenges
and changes within the Higher Education Act of 1964, with the help
of TRIO students, staff, and community members, the TRIO programs
have not only survived, but have grown from one program in 1964
[7] to eight programs today [8].
The term "TRIO" refers to the first
three programs of this nature that fell under the Higher Education
Amendments of 1968, Upward Bound (UB or Classic UB - 1964), Talent
Search (TS - 1965), and the then newly proposed, Special Services
for Disadvantaged Students (SSDS - 1968), now known as Student
Support Services (SSS). The remaining five TRIO programs include
Veterans Upward Bound (VUB - 1972), Educational Opportunity Centers
Program (EOC- 1972), Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement
Program (McNair - 1986), Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS - 1990),
and Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO Staff
Training) [9]. More information about TRIO is available on
the US
Department of Education website.
[1] Students from families whose
parents do not have a four-year college degree.
[2] John Groutt, Milestones
of TRIO History, Part I, Opportunity Outlook, Jan. 2003,
21-27.
[3] Audio
clip of Johnson and King talking about the conception of
these programs - begins at 2:04
[4] The Higher Education Act of
1965, Pub. L. 89-329, 79 STAT 1219,1249-1250 (1965).
[5] See reauthorization - The
Higher Education Amendments of 1998, PL 105-244, 112 Stat 1581,
1652-1656 (1998). (LEXIS).
[6] Id. This
section is now mainly devoted to Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, as well as other institutions serving predominately
underrepresented students.
[7] Even though Upward Bound
was not part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, it was the first
program funded that became part of the TRI O programs.
[8] Higher Education
Opportunity Act, Pub. L. 110-315, §403, 112 STAT 3078, 3191-3206
(2008).
[9] National
Clearinghouse, Do you know TRiO? A TRiO history
factsheet.
(Excerpt and references updated from
Crista Gray, A History of TRIO Programs: The illusion of
stability, unpublished paper, 2006. All rights reserved.
Available upon request.)