UCCS TRiO Student Support Services
TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) at UCCS supports eligible first-generation, low-income students, and students with disabilities as they work toward their academic, personal, and career goals. TRiO SSS is a supportive academic community committed to student success, persistence, and degree completion. Student growth and achievement are at the center of everything we do.
History of TRiO
The Federal TRIO Programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, originated during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” in the 1960s as part of a broader effort to expand educational opportunity for disadvantaged Americans. The first program, Upward Bound, was created in 1964 under the Economic Opportunity Act to help low-income and first-generation students prepare for college. This was followed by Talent Search in 1965 through the Higher Education Act, which focused on helping students navigate college admissions and financial aid. In 1968, a third program—Student Support Services (originally called Special Services for Disadvantaged Students)—was added, and together these three initiatives became known as “TRIO.”
Over time, TRIO expanded significantly to address different stages of the educational pipeline and serve a wider population. Additional programs were introduced through amendments to the Higher Education Act, including Educational Opportunity Centers in 1972 to assist adults, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program in 1986 to promote doctoral study, and specialized initiatives like Upward Bound Math and Science in 1990. Today, TRIO encompasses multiple programs designed to support low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities from middle school through graduate education, reflecting its long-standing mission to reduce barriers and increase access to higher education.