TRiO Student Support Services

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TRiO Student Support Services

• Eastern Illinois University
• 600 Lincoln Avenue
• Ninth Street Hall Room 3017
• Charleston, IL 61920
• 217-581-7849
• www.eiu.edu/eiutrio/

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What Is TRiO?

• TRiO is Educational Opportunity for Low-Income,
  First-Generation College Students and Disabled
  Americans. Our nation has asserted a commitment
  to providing educational opportunity for all
  Americans regardless of race, ethnic background
  or economic circumstance. In support of this
  commitment, Congress established a series of
  programs to help low-income Americans enter
  college, graduate and move on to participate more
  fully in America's economic and social life.
  These Programs are funded under Title IV of the
  Higher Education Act of 1965 and are referred to
  as the TRiO Programs (initially just three
  programs). 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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What Is TRiO? Continued

• TRiO Programs consist of Upward Bound, Upward
  Bound Math Science, Veterans Upward Bound,
  Educational Talent Search, Student Support
  Services, Educational Opportunity Center, Ronald
  E. McNair Baccalaureate Achievement program, TRiO
  Dissemination Partnership and TRiO Training
  Programs.
• How it Works
• Over 1,000 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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Evidence of TRiO Achievement

• Students in the Upward Bound program are four
  times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree
  than those students from similar backgrounds who
  did not participate in TRiO nearly 20 percent of
  all Black and Hispanic freshmen who entered
  college in 1981 received assistance through the
  TRiO Talent Search or EOC programs students in
  the TRiO Student Support Services program are
  more than twice as likely to remain in college
  than those students from similar backgrounds who
  did not participate in the program.

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The TRiO Program At EIU is Student Support
Services (SSS)

• The purpose of the TRiO/SSS Program at EIU is
  two-fold
• To increase college retention and graduation
  rates for eligible students.
• To foster an institutional climate supportive of
  the success of low-income and first-generation
  college students and/or college students with
  disabilities.

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The TRiO Program At EIU Continued

• Student Support Services, created in 1968, was
  originally known as Special Services for
  Disadvantaged Students.
• Our program is funded to serve 175 eligible
  undergraduate students. Although admission into
  the program is an ongoing process, space is
  limited so apply early. Services will be
  provided as soon as a student is accepted into
  the program.

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TRiO/SSS Program Eligibility

• Students are eligible to participate if they are
• Citizens or permanent residents of the United
  States
• Undergraduate students of Eastern Illinois
  University
• Have a need for TRiO/SSS services
• And meet one or more of the following
  requirements
• First-generation college student (meaning your
  parents
• or the parent you live with, does not already
  have a degree from a four-year college or
  university).
• Low-income (means an individual whose familys
  taxable income for the preceding year did not
  exceed 150 percent of the poverty level amount
  established by the Census Bureau).
• Documented disability(ies).

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TRiO Student Support Services provides free to
our participants

• Tutoring
• Mentoring
• Scholarships
• Career Counseling
• Personal Counseling
• Academic Counseling
• Interview Preparation
• Study Skills Enhancement
• Graduate School Visitations
• Cultural Enrichment Opportunities
• Leadership Development Training
• Recognition for Academic Excellence
• Academic and Personal Development workshops
• Financial Aid Application Assistance
  Scholarship Searches
• Access to our Private TRiO Computer Lab and
  Laptop Lending Program

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TRiO Student Support Services Staff

• Helen Gregg, Support Staff - Main Office
• 3017 9th Street Hall [phone]
• hdgregg_at_eiu.edu
• Maggie L. Burkhead, Director
• 3015 9th Street Hall [phone]
• mlburkhead_at_eiu.edu
• Desmond Timmons, Principle Counselor
• 3013 9th Street Hall [phone]
• djtimmons_at_eiu.edu
• Kristin Flores, Graduate Assistant
• 3018 9th Street Hall [phone]
• kkflores_at_eiu.edu
• Sonja Foster, Graduate Assistant
• 3016 9th Street Hall [phone]
• safoster_at_eiu.edu

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TRiO Students
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Facts About EIU TRiO/SSS Participants

• At the end of AY 2007
• 85 (167/197) were in good academic standing
• 25 (49/197) received a 3.0 or higher GPA
• 60 (118/197) received between 2.0 - 2.99 GPA
• At the end of AY 2006
• 93 (27/29) of graduates graduated within 6 years
• 28 (8/29) of graduates enrolled in graduate and
  professional schools

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Thank You!

• To learn more about TRiO at Eastern Illinois
  University or to download an application go to
  our website www.eiu.edu/eiutrio/
• To learn more about all of the TRiO Programs go
  to The Council For Opportunity in Educations
  website www.coenet.us
• or
• The U.S. Department of Educations website
  www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html