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Mesabi Range College
TRiO Student Support Services Program

What is TRiO Student Support Service?

The TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) program is a federally funded program that provides academic and personal support to students from low-income students, first generation college students, and students with disabilities.  We work with over 200 undergraduate students campus-wide each year.

What’s the Purpose of SSS?

The goal of TRiO Student Support Services is to work closely with program participants to maximize their effectiveness as students and develop their potential as future citizens and leaders in our community. From enrollment to graduation and/or transfer, SSS offers individualized assistance that will enhance the academic, personal, and professional potential of the students who participate in the program.

Specifically, SSS is dedicated to:

• increasing retention and graduation rates for low-income students, first generation college students, transfer students, and students with disabilities.
• assisting students in successfully completing basic college requirements and graduation, and/or transfer to a four-year institutions for their academic major of their choice.
• fostering an institutional climate supportive of success for low-income students, first generation college students, and students with disabilities. 
• increasing the number and support students from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue post-baccalaureate or graduate studies.

History of TRiO

In August 1964, in the midst of his administration's "War on Poverty," President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act.  This legislation gave rise to the Office of Economic Opportunity and its Special Programs for Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds or, as they have since become more commonly known, the nation's TRiO programs.  As part of this statute, the first TRiO initiative, Upward Bound, came into existence, followed soon thereafter by Talent Search, which was created by the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965.  When the HEA was first reauthorized in 1968, it established TRiO's Student Support Services program and transferred all of TRiO from the Office of Economic Opportunity to the Office of Higher Education Programs.  When the HEA was reauthorized in 1972, the fourth TRiO program, Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), was created.  The Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program was established at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) in 1973; it was an educational opportunity program exclusively for Vietnam veterans.  The expansion of TRiO's reach and outreach continued in 1976 with the creation of the TRiO Staff and Leadership Training Authority (SLTA).  The fifth TRiO program, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, was created in 1986.  Most recently, in 1990, the U.S. Department of Education created the Upward Bound Math/ Science Program, which is administered under the same regulations as other Upward Bound programs.The first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1968 prompted the TRiO label that continues to be used today. TRiO referred to the three programs; Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services that existed within this reauthorization of the Higher Education Act designed to assist low-income, first generation college students, and students with disabilities to begin and complete a post-secondary education.

What does TRiO stand for? Three but like the Big 10, which is now 11, TRiO started out with three programs and is now 5 programs.

TRiO is our nation’s commitment to the dream of education for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstances.

Eligibility Requirements

TRiO/SSS is open to students for whom one of the following applies:

1. "Low-income student"

Low-income student means an individual from a family whose taxable income for the preceding year did not exceed 150% of an amount equal to the poverty level (determined by the Census Bureau.) Please see the SSS Director for specifics on whether or not you qualify under this statement.

2. First generation college student

An individual both of whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree; or any individual who regularly resides with and received support from only one parent, and that parent did not complete a baccalaureate degree.

3. Student with a disability

An individual with a disability or disabilities, including physical, mental, and/or emotional.