The U.S. Department of Education has renewed funding through 2016 for TRiO Student Support Services, housed in the College of Education and Human Development on the Twin Cities campus. The University of Minnesota grant for the program has been funded continuously since 1976.
TRiO Student Support Services supports academic development for traditionally underserved students, encouraging retention and ultimately, graduation. Financial aid counseling, leadership development, supplemental study skill development, and learning communities are all part of the services for first year TRiO students. Returning students are also counseled in career and major choices.

Of the 150 incoming TRiO students at the University each year, two thirds come from low- to moderate-income households or are the first generation in their family to attend college. The vast majority of this group–85 percent–meets both requirements. The remaining 50 students are accepted through the College English Transitions program for immigrant and non-native speakers of English. Disabilities that require some form of academic accommodation are found among 10 to 15 percent of the students. The average annual household income of the students served by TRiO is roughly equivalent to the official University cost of attendance for a single academic year.
Federal TRiO programs at the University also include the McNair Scholars Graduate Preparation Program, which identifies promising underserved students, supports their undergraduate research, and guides them through the graduate admission process. A third program, Upward Bound, provides college preparation for high school students from low income or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
TRiO plays an important role in the college’s ongoing commitment to supporting academic success and equity for a diverse student body.