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“The Relevance of a Student Affairs Unit” Term Paper:

The Necessity of TRIO Programs in Higher Education

Mackenzie Otterson

Seattle University

SDAD 5300-02: Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession

Dr. Paige J. Gardner

November 17, 2022

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Higher education institutions are becoming increasingly diverse with more low-income,

first-generation, and students of color entering at higher rates than ever before. To ensure that

postsecondary institutions are providing equitable support to these student populations, programs

have been designed to assist marginalized students with college readiness, success, and

persistence through degree completion. TRIO is a federally funded set of such programs

designed intentionally to support low-income and first-generation undergraduate students get

into college and obtain their baccalaureate degree. For more than half a century, TRIO has been a

proven success in that it has consistently shown to increase the retention and graduation rates of

marginalized students, especially when compared to peers with similar backgrounds who were

not involved with TRIO. TRIO, particularly the TRIO programs geared towards college

persistence and success, is a necessary unit of student affairs due to the positive influence it has

on participating students as well as its capability to remove barriers to higher education access.

Further, I contend that for TRIO to continue to be successful, there needs to be an expansion of

TRIO programming to meet the needs of a growing diverse student population,

acknowledgement of it's worth from university faculty and staff, and an increase in campus

assessment to validate its effectiveness.

History of TRIO

TRIO was created in 1964 with the passage of the Federal Higher Education Act which

established the first federally supported education programs (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009). The

goal of these programs was and continues to be “to provide equal educational opportunities for

all U.S. citizens by increasing college readiness and developing higher education aspirations

among students from low-income, first-generation college and ethnic/racial minority

backgrounds” (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009, p. 96-97). In essence, TRIO programs were meant to
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provide access to higher education to those who were historically denied access. TRIO remains

an important program because studies reveal that students who are first-generation and low-

income are considered “high-risk.” “High risk” students tend to be “less successful in college

because of financial constraints, few or no role models, low institutional expectations, and social

environments that lack the support necessary for their success” (Wallace et al., 2004, p. 573).

TRIO attempts to mitigate these risks by implementing comprehensive academic preparation and

advising to promote emotional, environmental, and academic support for students whose needs

may be overlooked in higher education systems (Wallace et al., 2004).

Structure of TRIO Programs

TRIO’s structure is unique and extensive due to its multiple program types and different

student populations served. When the Higher Education Act passed in 1964, it initially created

three programs (a trio) called Education Talent Search, Upward Bound, and Student Support

Services which are collectively referred to today as TRIO (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009). Over

time, more federal programs have been created and categorized under the TRIO umbrella such as

Educational Opportunity Centers and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement

programs (also known as the McNair Scholars program) (Wallace et al., 2004). Each program is

alike in that students must qualify for eligibility. To be eligible for TRIO, students must be first-

generation college students and qualify as low-income. TRIO programs differ in terms of the age

of student populations served and scope of the program. For instance, programs like Upward

Bound serve high schoolers and focus on college preparedness. Education Talent Search has the

same focus but serves students as young as sixth grade.

In this paper, I will narrow our discussion of TRIO programs to those that serve college

students and whose goals center on college retention, success, and degree attainment. One such
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program is Student Support Services (SSS) which prioritizes retention by offering tutoring and

counseling for enrolled college students until they successfully earn their baccalaureate degree.

Another TRIO program, the McNair Scholars program, helps undergraduate students prepare for

college teaching careers or doctorate studies (Wallace et al., 2004). While each TRIO program

varies in student type and scope of services, they all serve a common purpose of closing the

degree divide and supporting underrepresented students with college enrollment and educational

attainment.

During the mid-2000s, TRIO programs existed in over 1,000 higher education institutions

across the country (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009). Additionally, by 2004 there were 2,000 TRIO

programs serving over 700,000 students and having already supported 2 million students through

to graduation. Within each individual TRIO program, a full-time staff is typically employed to

serve as counselors, advisors, and tutors (Wallace et al., 2004). Today, the placement of TRIO

programs within higher education institutions may vary. At the University of Washington, a

large four-year public institution, TRIO Student Success Services and the McNair Scholars

program are both housed in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. At Seattle Central

College, a community college with a population of 7,000 students, TRIO-Student Support

Services are a part of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Therefore, it appears that

TRIO programs often are categorized within multicultural student affairs offices on both 4-year

and community college campuses in the city of Seattle.

TRIO’s Positive Impact on Student Success

TRIO should remain a unit in student affairs for several reasons. The first reason is that it

has consistently demonstrated in multiple research studies to have a positive influence on

historically underrepresented college students. Cowan Pitre & Pitre (2009) indicated that Upward
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Bound had a positive effect on college enrollment and educational attainment as well as a

positive impact on a students’ college environment and college aspirations (p. 104).

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education found that students who engaged with Student

Support Services more often had significantly higher GPAs and retention rates than non-SSS

students with similar backgrounds (Wallace et al., 2004, p. 575).

Another example that exemplifies TRIO’s effectiveness is when 414 low-income TRIO

students across five states in the southwest demonstrated having attended postsecondary schools

at almost double (82%) the rate of low-income students nationally (44%). This evidence is

especially compelling considering that four out of the five states included in the Southwest TRIO

program had the lowest rates of college participation for individuals aged 18-29 of all races at the

time of the study (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009, p. 106). TRIO is clearly successful at increasing

higher education attendance rates and educational attainment rates for first-generation, low-

income students. This is crucial now more than ever considering that the United States has the

“‘highest dropout rate in the industrialized world’” and American retention rates did not increase

throughout 2008-2018 (Sanchez et al., 2018, p. 329). TRIO programs defy the odds and

effectively help marginalized student populations enroll in college and obtain degrees at higher

rates than non-TRIO peers.

TRIO Reduces Barriers to Accessing Education

Another reason why TRIO should remain a unit in student affairs is because of its ability

to reduce barriers to higher education access that may otherwise deter students, especially low-

income first-generation students, from enrolling and persisting in college. For example, TRIO

aims to mitigate the financial cost of post-secondary education. First, research shows that

financial barriers deter students from attending higher education (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009).
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The costs of higher education are increasing every year, making the choice to attend college a

significant financial decision for any student, but especially for low-income or first-generation

students who may not have the financial capital or know what options exist to pay for college.

For L. Graham (2011), TRIO was a significant help for overcoming the financial barrier

to get into college. Graham recalled that, as a senior in high school, Upward Bound held

financial aid workshops with financial aid counselors who helped her fill out the Free

Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and access fee waivers for standardized tests and

college application fees (Graham, 2011). Once admitted into college, TRIO programs hold

workshops to help students review their financial aid package or apply for financial awards such

as scholarships and federal grants to help lessen the costs of attendance (Graham, 2011). Thus,

TRIO programs tackle a significant hurdle facing marginalized student populations.

TRIO Forges Connections Between Students and the University

Another reason for TRIO’s necessity within student affairs is that it helps students

develop meaningful relationships in higher education settings. This is important because research

shows that students are more likely to persist when they develop positive relationships in their

higher education institution. Considering that TRIO students may not have the same resources as

multi-generation college students, they may not know how nor realize the significance of

forming relationships with campus community members such as faculty or student resource

offices. With the help of TRIO professional staff, these connections can be made, producing

relationships that are beneficial for students (Cowan Pitre & Pitre, 2009). Even if students forego

building formal connections with faculty, some TRIO students find TRIO staff to be their main

professional relationship on campus (Wallace et al., 2004).

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Further, forming connections with other TRIO students can be advantageous. To L.

Graham, she found that connecting with other TRIO members and alumni were influential: “It

was great having other students, who had similar experiences through TRIO, also working at

being successful in college. It reinforced my belief that I could be successful, too” (Graham,

2011, p. 36). Further, Graham (2011) said that an integral part of her success was the McNair

Scholars staff and the mentor she was paired with through the McNair Scholars program. Lastly,

since TRIO programs are usually housed on university grounds, students are better prepared to

navigate campuses and feel a sense of connectedness to their institution (Cowan Pitre & Pitre,

2009). Overall, TRIO is integral in building a students’ campus connections which in turn

increases rates of retention.

Call to Expand TRIO Services

It is evident that TRIO should remain a unit of student affairs due to its effectiveness in

increasing retention and graduation rates as well as its capacity to help students overcome

barriers to higher education access. In fact, TRIO is so successful and necessary in higher

education that I contend that there is an urgent need to expand TRIO programming. According to

Cowan Pitre & Pitre (2009), in 2000 TRIO had enough funding to serve only 10% of eligible

low-income, underrepresented ethnic minority student populations (p. 99). Additionally, TRIO

professional staff have reported needing to turn eligible students away due to a lack of funding

and resources (Wallace et al., 2004). This is an issue because “the inability of TRIO Programs to

serve larger numbers of eligible students, coupled with a steady increase in the U.S. ethnic

minority college-aged population, suggests more of these programs may be needed” (Cowan

Pitre & Pitre, 2009, p. 99). To demonstrate the rate in which the college population is changing,

consider the fact that 30% of enrolled undergraduate students in 1996 were students of color, but
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by 2016, 48% were students of color (Rollins & Mmeje, 2020). This is a dramatic shift in

demographics. According to D.A. Rollins and K.C. Mmeje (2020), higher education institutions

have responded to smaller demographic shifts through small-scale adaptations or program

expansions; however, with such a large demographic shift occurring, much larger efforts will

need to be made to adequately meet the needs of a changing higher education population. Since

the student-body is changing on campuses, higher education institutions need to change, too. One

way to meet the needs of a growing ethnic and racial minority population on college campuses is

to expand access to TRIO for eligible students.

Ensuring TRIO’s Success at the Institutional-Level

For TRIO programs to continue to be successful, it is critical to increase understanding

and recognition of TRIO programs on college campuses through cross-unit dialogues and

increased assessment. Wallace et al, (2004) found that “University administrators, faculty, staff,

and students often do not understand these programs or their impact on their institutions” nor did

they “value their existence on campus” (p. 578 & 580). According to TRIO professionals, these

negative interpretations of TRIO often lead to competition between student services programs

rather than collaboration. To address these issues and improve understanding of TRIO services,

there needs to be increased dialogue between TRIO programs and university officials,

administrators, and staff. Additionally, TRIO staff should be provided more opportunities to join

committees and have a voice in decisions that directly or indirectly impact TRIO students

(Wallace et al., 2004). If university officials understood TRIO, then they could help advocate for

resources and recognition that TRIO desperately needs to continue doing their important work of

serving marginalized students. Finally, to establish credibility and improve recognition of TRIO

services, more studies and assessments need to be conducted. According to Green et al. (2008),
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assessments not only provide evidence that a unit is contributing to the overall mission of the

university, but they also strengthen a unit’s validity and value at an institution. Furthermore, it

was difficult for me to find research on TRIO that was published within the last decade. I believe

that performing more research on this student affairs unit could strengthen its credibility, solidify

its success, and garner more support for expansion.

Furthermore, the lack of recognition and understanding of TRIO services has a negative

impact on TRIO professional staff. Wallace et al. (2004) reported that TRIO staff felt

“marginalized themselves by the academy” because they did not have equal access to resources

and decision-making capacities as other university staff members (p. 577). This is significant

because marginalization of a student affairs unit can lead to its eventual exclusion or worse—

complete extinction. Further, TRIO staff reported feeling undervalued and underappreciated

which impacted their morale (Wallace et al., 2004). While a lack of appreciation impacts TRIO

professional staff, it likely has negative impacts on the TRIO students they are trying to serve. As

Wallace et al. stated, “institutions can significantly impact marginalized student retention and

success through valuing and recognizing the services of professional staff members who work

with these students” (p. 585). Therefore, it is imperative for university officials to acknowledge

the importance of TRIO programming, TRIO staff, and the success of TRIO students to increase

their campus recognition and improve the plight of TRIO staff and students.

Based on my research, it is evident that TRIO is an integral unit of student affairs. Not

only do multiple studies demonstrate that TRIO programs improve persistence and graduation

rates for students involved with TRIO, but it also improves college goals and aspirations. This is

significant considering that first-generation low-income students who are not involved with

TRIO tend to have lower rates of persistence and degree attainment. TRIO serves as a successful
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intervention tool for “high risk” students by intentionally targeting barriers to higher education

whether it be through offering financial support, like grants and scholarships, or through social

supports, like connecting students to valuable mentors, faculty, or TRIO staff. For these reasons,

I strongly believe that TRIO programming needs to be expanded for it to continue to be

successful and to reach a larger audience, especially in the wake of an increasingly diverse

student population. Additionally, the positive influence of TRIO will have a greater impact once

university faculty and staff acknowledge its value and importance. Finally, one way to validate

TRIO’s effectiveness and convince higher education officials of its worthiness is to conduct

more research and assessment on the benefits of TRIO, especially for underrepresented student

populations. According to Wallace et al. (2004), one principle of student affairs is to meet the

ever-changing needs of diverse student populations. TRIO is an excellent example of a student

affairs unit that values and practices this principle daily and therefore deserves to remain within

our sector.

Reflection

I chose to research TRIO because I feel passionately about working directly with students

and supporting them in overcoming barriers to higher education. From what I have learned about

TRIO, I am excited that it has several different programs with varying student populations, but

the overall mission of the programs remains same: to provide equitable education opportunities

for all students through emotional, environmental, and academic support. I appreciate that TRIO

takes a holistic approach to working with students and that it values students as their full selves,

no matter their background or familiarity with higher education. Partnering with students in a

holistic way and empowering them to gain all they can from higher education is the kind of work

that motivates me as a student affairs practitioner. One aspect of TRIO that was challenging to
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learn about was the negative perceptions that TRIO professional staff have towards their work.

Not only did TRIO staff feel undervalued and underappreciated in their work, but they also

reported having little opportunity for advancement. According to one staff member, “‘once you

start in TRIO, [the university administration] seem to think that you have no value anywhere

else’” (Wallace et al., 2004, p. 581). This gives me pause because even if I felt like the work that

I was doing was gratifying, I would not want to feel pigeonholed or unable to grow as a

professional beyond TRIO. Therefore, if I do enter a TRIO program in the future, I would

intentionally connect with staff from other student affairs units on campus not only to promote

understanding TRIO initiatives, but to also network and continue pushing myself to become

familiar with units outside of TRIO.

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References

Green, A.S., Jones, E., & Aloi, S. (2008). An Exploration of High-quality Student Affairs

Learning Outcomes Assessment Practices. Journal of Student Affairs Research and

Practice, 45(1), 133-157.

Cowan Pitre, C., & Pitre, P. (2009). Increasing Underrepresented High School Students’ College

Transitions and Achievements: TRIO Educational Opportunity Programs. NASSP

Bulletin, 93(2), 96-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636509340691

Graham, L. (2011). Learning a New World: Reflections on Being a First-Generation College

Student and the Influence of TRIO Programs. New Directions for Teaching and

Learning, 2011(127), 33–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.455

Rollins, D.A., & Mmeje, K.C. (2020). Leading Creative and Diverse Teams. In Kelly, R.D.,

Stewart, C., et al. (Eds.), Disruptive Transformation (pp. 183-197). NASPA--Student

Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Sanchez, J. E., Lowman, J. L., & Hill, K. A. (2018). Performance and Persistence Outcomes of

GEAR UP Students: Leveling the Playing Field in Higher Education. Journal of College

Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 20(3), 328–349.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025116669954

Wallace, D., Ropers-Huilman, B., & Abel, R. (2004). Working in the Margins: A Study of

University Professionals Serving Marginalized Student Populations. Journal of Student

Affairs Research and Practice, 41(4), 1137–1155. https://doi.org/10.2202/1949-

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