The TRIO Program at Mission College is a federally funded initiative aimed at supporting students who are first-generation, low-income, or have disabilities. Its mission is to help students succeed in higher education by providing personalized academic support, resources, and services.
The TRIO Program seeks to improve student retention, graduation, and transfer rates, ensuring that all participants have the tools they need to succeed academically and professionally. By joining the TRIO Program, you’ll gain access to a wide range of services designed to support your academic journey and help you achieve your educational goals. Some of the key benefits include:
To join the TRIO Program, students must meet the following criteria:
The history of TRIO is progressive. It began with Upward Bound, which emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the administration's War on Poverty. In 1965, Talent Search, the second outreach program, was created as part of the Higher Education Act. In 1968, Student Support Services, which was originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged Students, was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments and became the third in a series of educational opportunity programs. By the late 1960's, the term "TRIO" was coined to describe these federal programs.
At Mission College, the first TRIO Student Support Services grant was funded in 1996, serving 165 students each year. To meet an expanding student need, the TRIO STEM grant (a Student Support Services variant) was added in 2020, allowing the program to serve an additional 120 specifically pursuing STEM related majors. In total, TRIO is now funded to serve 285 students each academic year.
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Come visit us in the Student Engagement Center (SEC), Office 146.
