TRIO Programs

Upward Bound: The War on Talent Waste, 1966.

The TRIO programs are federally- funded programs that allows students from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive help while trying to earn a college degree. There are eight programs that make up TRIO in total.  The programs were designed to provide assistance to first generation college students, low-income individuals, and individuals with disabilities. The programs help students advance through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. President Lyndon B. Johnson began TRIO during his War on Poverty campaign. The Educational Opportunity Act of 1964 created an experimental program known as Upward Bound - which hosts students on Eastern’s campus every summer. The last program, Special Services for Disadvantaged Students, was launched in 1968. Together, this trio of federally-funded programs encouraged access to higher education for low-income students.