Abstract
TRIO programs partner with low-income, first-generation, and/or students with disabilities to address academic and personal challenges, as well as social capital deficits that can cause students to struggle with feelings of isolation and a lack of belonging to the university community. This can place students at risk for leaving academia prematurely. The chapter will discuss the history of TRIO programs and the development of the eight specific programs currently available to students. Barriers to student social and educational success will be discussed, specifically intersectionality of oppression, the hidden curriculum, and lack of cultural humility by faculty and administrators. TRIO programs provide various services to students that have been found to be highly successful with student retention rates, academic performance, and increased self-efficacy. The chapter will discuss TRIO staff characteristics, needed administrative and faculty support, and university community buy-in for overall success. The chapter includes TRIO student and staff member testimonies.
TopBackground
Today’s TRIO programs were created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s initiatives known as the War on Poverty. Originally, TRIO consisted of three programs (Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and Special Services), hence the name. However, TRIO programs have continued to progress, with numerous amendments to the foundational act that have expanded the scope and number of students TRIO services can assist. Currently there are eight federal programs that are managed and regulated by the United States Department of Education (USDE), and all programs target first-generation, economically disadvantaged, and/or students with disabilities who desire to obtain a post-secondary education (USDE, 2022). The following is a description of each of the eight programs in the order of their inception.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Financial Capital: Access to monies and goods to ensure needed items for daily living, cushion for times of financial crisis, and surplus items for leisure and pleasure.
First-Generation Student: College students who do not have at least one parent who has obtained a college education.
Food Insecurities: Being unable to consistently secure enough nutritiously dense foods to maintain an active lifestyle due to lack of access and/or financial resources.
Poverty: A deficit that creates daily struggles in one or more of the following areas: Food security, housing, education/employment, access to health care, and economic assets ( Segal et al., 2019 ).
Disadvantaged Student: Student who has a history of poverty that has created challenges across multiple life domains, specifically physical health, emotional wellbeing, financial assets, education, and social settings.
Cultural Capital: Assets one possesses due to understanding the norms and values of a particular setting, community, or environment. Allows one to fit in and move through domains with others more effectively and encourages a sense of inclusivity.
War on Poverty: Unofficial title used to describe the collective efforts under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration to decrease nationwide poverty rates through educational and employment opportunities.
Social Capital: Exposure, experiences, and/or personal connections in one’s sphere of influence that provide additional advantages and opportunities over others.
Hidden Curriculum: The unspoken behaviors, values, and practices that are considered conventional and customary in university settings and are based on the standards of the dominant culture.
Negative Action: When White is the baseline of expectations for all people groups.