National TRIO Program
Over 40 years ago, the U.S. Department of Education made a commitment to provide educational opportunities for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstances. In support of this commitment, Congress established a series of programs to help students overcome academic, social, cultural and class barriers to higher education. These programs are referred to collectively as TRIO. TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), one of these programs, serves students who are first in their families to go to college, low-income by federal guidelines or have a learning or physical disability.
At WashU
Washington University has maintained a TRIO Student Support Services grant since the early 1970s. Approximately 10% of Washington University’s undergraduate students are TRIO-eligible. Each year, our grant allows us to provide comprehensive services to 206 TRIO-eligible undergraduate students. The purpose of TRIO-SSS is to increase the number of disadvantaged low-income college students, first-generation college students, and college students with disabilities in the United States who successfully complete a program of study at the post-secondary level.