The 36th anniversary of “National TRIO Day” will be commemorated on Monday, Feb. 28. NDSU has two of the seven TRIO programs on campus.
TRIO Upward Bound, the first TRIO program among the seven, provides access to college to low-income and first-generation students. The NDSU UB program serves 52 students in the Fargo and Moorhead school districts annually.
NDSU also hosts TRIO Student Support Services which helps students with disabilities, income-eligible students and first-generation college students. NDSU’s SSS program helps students stay in college and graduate within 6 years; the program currently serves 350 students.
“For millions of students from low-income families who strive to be the first in their families to attend and graduate from college, seven federally funded programs called TRIO are making a world of difference, said Ben Shapiro, Upward Bound director, and Scott Norenberg, SSS director. “Unlike student financial aid programs which help students overcome financial barriers to higher education, the TRIO programs have been providing valuable supportive services to students from poor and working families to successfully enter college and graduate for more than 50 years.”
Results of NDSU TRIO’s efforts during the 2020-2021 academic year include:
Upward Bound
• 100% of high school seniors graduated from secondary school. The state average for low-income students is 77% in North Dakota, 72% in Minnesota.
• 76% of college-ready participants enrolled in postsecondary education programs. The state average for low-income students is 44% in North Dakota, 63% in Minnesota.
• 44% of former participants earned college degrees within six years of high school graduation. The national average is 21%.
Student Support Services
• 88% of first-year SSS students persisted to the next academic year. The national average is estimated at 74% for all students.
• 61% of eligible participants earned their bachelor’s degree on time. The national average for SSS eligible students is 40%.
TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college; tutoring; personal and financial counseling; career counseling; assistance in applying to college and graduate school; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; peer mentoring; and academic support in high school or assistance to re-enter high school.
As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.