Students and graduates from Iowa State University TRIO Talent Search and Upward Bound participated in the 2024 National TRIO Day of Service on Feb. 29 to express appreciation to the community for its support of the TRIO programs.

Fort Dodge students, senior Daniella Castillo, and juniors, Kesha Gines and Zohara Dueker met with Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, and Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge. They spoke about their role in government.

For millions of students from low-income families who strive to be the first in their families to attend and graduate from college, seven federally funded programs called TRIO are making a world of difference.

TRIO Talent Search and Upward Bound aim to provide opportunities for their students to learn more about their options after high school.

ISU TRIO Director and Iowa TRIO President Darcie Sprouse said, “Iowa TRIO Day is a celebration of TRIO programs in Iowa, and it was great to have students from Marshalltown, Perry and Fort Dodge participating in the event. They did a wonderful job representing their schools and speaking with state leaders about the value of TRIO. Even though TRIO is federally funded, our state representatives know how TRIO supports students and schools in their areas.”

TRIO Day History

Council for Opportunity in Education President Kimberly Jones conveyed, “The inaugural National TRIO Day arose as a response to potential federal funding cuts. Despite enduring financial challenges for TRIO and other vital education support programs, we find immense gratitude in transforming this annual occasion into a joyous celebration of the remarkable achievements and impactful contributions made by TRIO students and programs.”

Jones emphasized the ongoing funding hurdles faced by TRIO while expressing appreciation for the program’s evolution into a platform that honors the accomplishments of TRIO participants. “TRIO is privileged to garner bipartisan support on Capitol Hill,” shared Jones. “It’s truly gratifying to witness Members of Congress, spanning the political spectrum, unite with our students and programs to acknowledge and celebrate the commendable work of TRIO.” This collective recognition underscores the bipartisan commitment to championing educational opportunities and success through the TRIO initiative.

Unlike student financial aid programs, which help students overcome financial hurdles to higher education, the TRIO programs recognize the importance of overcoming all barriers to success. For more than 50 years, they have been providing valuable supportive services to help first-generation students and students from low-income families, veterans, and students with disabilities enter and graduate from college. TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college, tutoring, personal and financial counseling, career counseling, assistance in applying to college, and workplace and college visits.

What is TRIO?

TRIO is a set of federally-funded college-based educational opportunity outreach programs that motivate and support students from low-income backgrounds — including military veterans and students with disabilities. Currently serving more than 880,000 students from middle school through post-graduate study, TRIO provides academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other supports necessary to promote college access, retention, and graduation. TRIO students come from families that earn less than $38,000 a year and/or in which neither parent have earned a college degree.

Why are the TRIO

programs important?

The TRIO programs help first-generation, low-income students overcome social, cultural, and academic barriers to succeed in higher education. By providing direct services and individually focused and intensive programming geared toward helping students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process, TRIO programs assist students in overcoming the obstacles they face as the first in their families to attend and graduate from college. Today, an estimated 6 million students have graduated from college with the support and assistance of TRIO programs across the country.