Summary
The TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, help low-income and first-generation students succeed in college. These programs face a funding threat from a Trump administration budget proposal. The concern is that cutting the programs could prevent many students from accessing needed educational support.
Key Facts
- TRIO is a group of eight federal programs designed to help low-income and first-generation students earn a college degree.
- Upward Bound, a part of TRIO, places high school students in college dorms for classes and workshops.
- TRIO programs have served about 870,000 students each year and have bipartisan support in Congress.
- A White House budget proposal suggests cutting federal funding for TRIO programs.
- Advocates argue that TRIO programs are effective, noting students in Upward Bound are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 compared to peers from low-income households.
- In the high school class of 2022, 74% of Upward Bound students enrolled in college right away, versus 56% of graduates from the lowest income groups.
