TRIO Programs at Montgomery College
The national network of Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) is the largest federal infrastructure of outreach and student services programs designed to identify and serve low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities. Students enrolled in today's TRIO programs mirror our nation's multicultural and multiethnic society.
History of TRIO Programs
The Federal TRIO Programs were the first federally funded initiatives aimed at improving college access and retention by addressing social, cultural, and economic barriers in the American education system. TRIO was named after the original three programs, Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services, which were implemented under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Since its inception, TRIO has expanded to include eight programs that promote college access, retention, and graduation among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Today, TRIO serves nearly one million students annually through a network of colleges, universities, and community-based agencies nationwide.
- 1964 - Upward Bound
- 1965 - Talent Search
- 1968 - Student Support Services (SSS)
- 1972 - Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) and Veterans Upward Bound
- 1986 - Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement
- 1990 - Upward Bound Math/Science
Description of the above TRIO Fact Sheet graphic
- 870,000 - First-Generation/Low-income Students
- 3,400 - TRIO Programs
- 6,000,000 - TRIO Alumni
TRIO programs operate in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Pacific Islands,and Puerto Rico. COE provides support to over 3,400 TRIO programs nationwide at more than 1,000 member colleges, universities, and community-based agencies within our 10 regional associations. Collectively, these programs help nearly one million students enter and graduate from college each year.
Pre-Collegiate
- Talent Search (TS) — Promotes early college awareness and preparation. Talent Search students are 26% more likely to enroll in college than students in the bottom income quartile nationally.
- Upward Bound (I-JB) — Provides intense college preparation and academic enrichment services. Upward Bound students are more than 2X as likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than students in the lowest income quartile.
- Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) — Increases youth exposure to STEM fields. Upward Bound Math-Science students are more than 2X as likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than students in the lowest income quartile.
College
- Student Support Services (SSS) — Boosts undergraduate student retention and graduation rates. Student Support Services students were 47% more likely to complete a 2-year degree or transfer and 18% more likely to complete a bachelor's degree than a matched comparison group of nonparticipants, according to the Department of Education's 2019 rigorous evaluation.
- Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair) — Increases the STEM/Ph.D. pipeline. Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement students are 78% more likely to enroll in graduate school than college graduates in the bottom income quartile.
Adult Learners
- Veterans Upward Bound (VI-JB) — Supports veteran postsecondary enrollment. Veterans Upward Bound students are 42% more likely than other low-income veterans to earn a bachelor's degree in six years.
- Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) — Supports adult postsecondary enrollment. Educational Opportunity Center participants in 2011-12 found that 60.6% of "college-ready" students were enrolled in institutions of higher learning, and 71% of eligible EOC participants applied to college.
TRIO Programs
