What is TRIO and How Can TRIO be Integrated into Campus Retention Plans?

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What is TRIO and How Can TRIO be Integrated into
Campus Retention Plans?

• Hal D. Payne
• Vice President for Student Affairs
• Buffalo State College
• March 29, 2003

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What is TRIO?

• TRIO is Educational Opportunity for
• Low-Income and Disabled Americans.
• While student financial aid programs help
  students overcome financial barriers to higher
  education, TRIO programs help students overcome
  class, social and cultural barriers to higher
  education.

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The History of TRIO
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1961

• President John F. Kennedy appoints Walter Heller
  as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors
  and charges the Council with studying the problem
  of poverty and making recommendations for action.

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1963

• Acting on the recommendations of Heller,
  President Lyndon Johnson declares an
  unconditional war on poverty in his first State
  of the Union speech. The President then appoints
  Sargent Shriver to head a Task Force on Poverty.
  Legislation is produced in less than six weeks.

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1964

• The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 establishes
  the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) with
  Sargent Shriver as the National Director.
• It also establishes a Demonstration and Research
  office to fund experimental programs. Upward
  Bound is one of the first programs developed by
  this office.

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1965

• Upward Bound begins seventeen pilot projects in
  the summer, serving 2,061 students from
  low-income backgrounds who were identified as
  underachieving.
• The Higher Education Act of 1965 establishes
  Talent Search (originally Contracts to Encourage
  the Full Utilization of Educational Talent or
  CEFUET). This was the first time that Federal
  scholarship monies would be distributed based on
  low-income status.

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1968

• The Higher Education Amendments of 1968 transfers
  Upward Bound from the Office of Economic
  Opportunity to the Office of Education.
• Upward Bound joins Talent Search and Special
  Services for Disadvantaged Students (now known as
  Student Support Services) to create the first
  TRIO of programs aimed at helping disadvantaged
  students to enter college.

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1970s Continued Expansion

• The second reauthorization of the Higher
  Education Act of 1972 creates the Educational
  Opportunity Centers.
• In 1976, the Training Program for Federal TRIO
  Programs is established. By the end of the
  seventies, most of the programs are in place.

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1980s Building Permanence

• The concept of first generation in college is
  adopted.
• Makes TRIO programs more inclusive.
• Looks at the origin of non-financial barriers to
  higher education.
• The concept of prior performance is adopted.
• Establishes TRIO programs as vital permanent
  programs, not demonstration programs.

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1980s Building Permanence(continued)

• TRIO emerges as an institution.
• TRIO programs are stable and continuous.
• They are not subject to the whim of either
  legislators or administrations.
• TRIO evolves into a cohesive set of programs.
• Increased political strength and recognition.
• Strong influence in Washington assures longevity.

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TRIO Today

• In FY 2003, the Federal government appropriated
  832.5 million to support TRIO.
• Two-thirds of the students come from families
  with incomes under 24,000, where neither parent
  graduated from college.
• Currently, 2,600 TRIO Programs serve more than
  870,000 low-income Americans between the ages of
  11 and 27.
• TRIO also serves 16,000 disabled students and
  25,000 U.S. veterans.
• Over 1,200 colleges, universities, community
  colleges and agencies now offer TRIO Programs in
  America. TRIO funds are distributed to
  institutions through competitive grants.

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TRIO Timeline
1964 Economic Opportunity Act Upward Bound
1965 Higher Education Act Talent Search
1968 Higher Education Amendments Student Support Services
1972 Higher Education Amendments Educational Opportunity Centers
1976 Higher Education Amendments Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs
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TRIO Timeline (continued)
1986 Higher Education Amendments Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program
1990 Higher Education Act Upward Bound Math/ Science Program
1998 Department of Higher Education TRIO Dissemination Partnership Program
2001 Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act Amendment to SSS program permits use of program funds to provide direct financial assistance to Federal Pell grant recipients
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Ethnic Breakdown of TRIO
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TRIO Program Descriptions
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Upward Bound

• Upward Bound provides fundamental support to
  participants in their preparation for college
  entrance. The program provides opportunities for
  participants to succeed in pre-college
  performance and ultimately in higher education
  pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school
  students from families in which neither parent
  holds a bachelors degree, and low-income,
  first-generation military veterans who are
  preparing to enter postsecondary education. The
  goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates at
  which participants enroll in and graduate from
  institutions of postsecondary education. All
  Upward Bound projects must provide instruction in
  math, laboratory science, composition, literature
  and foreign language.

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Upward Bound Math and Science

• The Upward Bound Math and Science program allows
  the Department to fund specialized Upward Bound
  math and science centers. The program si
  designed to strengthen the math and science
  skills of participating students. The goal of
  the program is to help students recognize and
  develop their potential to excel in math and
  science and to encourage them to pursue
  postsecondary degrees in these fields.

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Student Support Services

• The Student Support Services (SSS) program
  provides opportunities for academic development,
  assists students with basic college requirements,
  and serves to motivate students towards the
  successful completion of their postsecondary
  education. The SSS program may also provide
  grant aid to current SSS participants who are
  receiving Federal Pell Grants. The goal of SSS
  is to increase the college retention and
  graduation rates of its participants and
  facilitate the process of transition from one
  level of higher education to the next.

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Talent Search

• The Talent Search program identifies and assists
  individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who
  have the potential to succeed in higher
  education. The program provides academic,
  career, and financial counseling to its
  participants and encourages them to graduate from
  high school and continue on to the postsecondary
  school of their choice. Talent Search also
  serves high school dropouts by encouraging them
  to reenter the educational system and complete
  their education. The goal of Talent Search is to
  increase the number of youth from disadvantaged
  backgrounds who complete high school and enroll
  in the postsecondary institution of their choice.

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Educational Opportunity Centers

• The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program
  provides counseling and information on college
  admissions to qualified adults who want to enter
  or continue a program of postsecondary education.
  An important objective of EOC is to counsel
  participants on financial aid options and to
  assist in the application process. The goal of
  EOC is to increase the number of adult
  participants who enroll in postsecondary
  education institutions.

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Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement
Programs

• The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate
  Achievement program awards grants to institutions
  of higher education for projects designed to
  prepare participants for doctoral studies through
  involvement in research and other scholarly
  activities. McNair participants are from
  disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated
  strong academic potential. Institutions work
  closely with these participants through their
  undergraduate requirements, encourage their
  entrance into graduate programs, and track their
  progress to successful completion of advanced
  degrees. The goal of McNair is to increase
  attainment of the Ph.D. by students from
  underrepresented segments of society.

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How it Works An Example of the TRIO Cycle
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Characteristics of TRIO Programs

• One-on-one service
• Performance-based
• Focus on early intervention
• Targeted towards first generation low-income
  students
• Built on relationships
• Committed to tough cases

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Characteristics of TRIO Programs(continued)

• Consistent and Intense
• Comprehensive and Cultural
• Reality-Based
• Community-Based
• Non-Bureaucratic

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Why TRIO is Important

• Plays a central role in the advancement of the
  institutional missions of colleges and
  universities.
• Provides quality teaching, research and service.
• Educates citizens to higher and advanced levels
  of learning.

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Why TRIO is Important

• Plays a significant role in eliminating inequity.
• Provides all citizens with the opportunity to
  become well-educated and to excel in the
  workforce.
• Enhances the quality of life in our communities.

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Why TRIO is Important

• Supports promising students who might not
  otherwise pursue a college education.
• Validates the notion that a persons life and
  future can be transformed through college
  education.
• TRIO responds to the characteristics of
  disadvantaged students.

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Characteristics of Low-Income and First
Generation Students

• Receive less academic preparation.
• Enter college with lower critical thinking
  levels.
• Have lower SAT scores and high school GPAs.
• Have limited information on and understanding of
  the college experience.
• Lack knowledge of time management, college
  finances and budget management, and bureaucratic
  operations.
• Have less family support.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Minority Students at Risk

• Non-white students from first-generation,
  low-income backgrounds face even greater
  challenges (Rendon, 1995).
• Therefore, a support network that provides early
  intervention is indispensable to any institution
  that is truly committed to diversity.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Retention a Priority

• In light of the characteristics of first
  generation, low income students, retention has
  become key priority for TRIO programs.
• Where the emphasis in the 1960s was access,
  there is now an equal concern for retention.

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TRIO Paradigm Shift
1960s
1990s
Access
Retention
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TRIO and Retention Theory

• Research on student retention supports the
  conceptual design of TRIO.
• The common themes in key theoretical models of
  retention illustrates this point.

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Common Themes in Retention Theory

• Students bring a number of characteristics,
  experiences and commitments to their college
  entry
• Academic preparedness levels.
• Parent educational attainment.
• Parent aspirations for their children.
• Socioeconomic levels.
• Aspirations for learning and degree attainment.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Common Themes (continued)

• Models of retention also describe how the student
  and the institutional environment interact with
  one another to form and re-form student
  attitudes, behavior and commitments.

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Common Themes (continued)

• There are thus two important areas that impact
  retention
• The selection process includes identifying,
  attracting and admitting students with
  characteristics predictive of retention.
• The learning environment includes the quality of
  student support systems, images of institutional
  prestige, and student expectations

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Common Themes (continued)

• A double-sided approach is essential for
  institutions that are committed to access and
  diversity.
• The admissions process can be designed to
  determine the diverse assets and needs of
  individual students.
• The learning environment can be enriched with
  support services that address student needs
  through early intervention.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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TRIO Helps Retention

• TRIO programs offer institutions this kind of
  double-sided approach.
• Most students who leave an institution are likely
  to do so within the first four semesters.
  (Berkner, 1996 Porter, 1990)
• Since first-generation and low-income students
  are at a greater risk for attrition, effective
  programs that provide early intervention are
  critical to an institutions retention strategy.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Components of a Successful Student Support Project

• Project participation in the college admissions
  process for at-risk students.
• Pre-freshman-year academic and social
  preparation.
• Project involvement in participants initial
  course selection.
• An intrusive advising process throughout the
  freshman year.
• Provision of academic services that buttress the
  courses in which the participants are enrolled.
• Group services that extend service hours and
  build cohesion among participants.
• A powerful message of success through
  conscientious effort.

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The Retention of Students from First Generation
and Low Income Backgrounds, Paul B. Thayer,
Ph.D., The Council Journal, May 2000.
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Challenges in Higher Education

• Today, we are faced with many challenges in
  higher education.
• These include

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Challenges Facing Higher Education

• Budget Reductions
• Eroding Political Support
• Declining Enrollment
• Rising Costs
• Rapid Demographic Changes
• A Shift in Faculty Characteristics
• Technology Issues
• Competition from the Private Sector
• Less-Prepared and Poorer Students Economically
• Deferred Maintenance Problems

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TRIO Works

• TRIO programs can be an important resource to
  colleges and universities in carrying out their
  mission in many ways.
• TRIO programs can have a substantial impact on
  campus.
• TRIO programs work!

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