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Council for Opportunity in Education Condemns President Trump’s Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs 

May 2, 2025 — by Terrance L. Hamm

President Trump’s newly released 2026 budget proposes the complete elimination of the Federal TRIO Programs, which have helped millions of low-income, first-generation students – including veterans, adult learners, and students with disabilities – succeed in higher education for over 60 years. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) condemns President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal, which calls for the complete elimination of the Federal TRIO Programs—a longstanding, bipartisan initiative proven to expand access to higher education for low-income and first-generation students. 

“This proposal is a direct attack on students who dare to dream of college in the face of adversity,” said Kimberly Jones, President of the Council for Opportunity in Education. “For decades, TRIO has proven to be a critical engine of economic mobility, and any attempt to dismantle these programs is shortsighted.”  

The Trump Administration’s budget proposal claims that “access to college is not the obstacle it was for students of limited means.” However, data from the U.S. Census Bureau demonstrate that students from the poorest families earn college degrees at rates far below students from the highest income families. As recently as 2023, students from the highest income quartile earned college degrees at a rate more than four times that of students from the lowest income quartile (62% vs. 15%). 

President Trump’s budget slashes over $163 billion from non-defense federal programs, decimating support for those most in need. All of the TRIO programs would be among the casualties: Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), Student Support Services (SSS), Veterans Upward Bound, and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.  

Collectively, TRIO serves nearly 870,000 students and adult learners through nearly 3,500 individual programs in each U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Islands annually. TRIO programs are staples in communities of every kind – and have a particular impact in rural areas where fewer resources are available to serve students in need. Since 1964, TRIO has produced over six million college graduates and counts among its alumni astronauts, college presidents, business leaders, and elected officials. 

“TRIO is the insurance policy for the Pell Grant,” said Maureen Hoyler, COE Senior Advisor and past president. “It’s not enough to provide financial aid—students also need academic guidance, mentoring, and personalized advising to stay on track. TRIO Student Support Services, in particular, raises completion rates for Pell Grant recipients and ensures our federal investment results in degrees, not dropouts.” 

Further, the Administration’s proposal ignores the harsh reality that many institutions of higher education – particularly community colleges, regional colleges, and smaller private institutions – do not have the infrastructure or funding to take on TRIO’s responsibilities alone. These colleges cannot manage robust K–12 outreach, recruit disconnected youth and adult learners, or offer sustained, wraparound support through graduation. TRIO professionals do this every day in partnership with schools and communities—and they do it with deep expertise and proven results. 

The data on TRIO’s effectiveness is unambiguous: 

  • Upward Bound students are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24 than students in the lowest income quartile. 
  • Student Support Services participants are 47% more likely to complete a two-year degree or transfer, and 18% more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than similar nonparticipants. 
  • Talent Search students are 33% more likely to enroll in college than other students from the bottom income quartile. 
  • Veterans Upward Bound participants are 42% more likely than their peers to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. 
  • EOC programs report that 60.6% of “college-ready” participants enrolled in higher education, and 71% applied. 
  • McNair Scholars are 78% more likely to enroll in graduate school compared to similarly situated low-income college graduates. 

Dr. Arnold Mitchem, COE’s President Emeritus and the architect of the national TRIO movement, stated: “I’ve spent more than five decades defending these programs. Eliminating TRIO is not about efficiency—it’s about abandonment. We are abandoning students who could be our next teachers, engineers, public servants, and leaders.” 

“TRIO works,” said Diane Shust, COE’s Vice President of Public Policy. “It supports students from all racial backgrounds who face barriers not because of ability, but because of income, opportunity, or circumstance. Eliminating TRIO isn’t just a budget decision; it’s a choice to shut the door on millions of Americans who are ready and able to succeed.” 

COE urges Congress to reject this proposal and preserve the federal commitment to educational opportunity and economic mobility. The stakes—for our students, our communities, and our country—could not be higher. 

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Terrance L. Hamm, associate vice-president for communications and marketing at COE via email at [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.

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