TRIO Student Support Services
University of Colorado Denver TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) is a holistic student development program that's dedicated to helping each student reach their full academic potential. We help students achieve their undergraduate degree and prepare for graduate school.
Students in the TRIO Student Support Services program are more than twice as likely to remain in college than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in the program. ~ Council for Opportunity in Education
TRIO began under President Lyndon B. Johnson's “War on Poverty.”
TRIO isn't an acronym. It was the name given to the first three programs established in the 1960's to ensure equal educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic circumstance.
Program funding and evaluation are based on the persistence and graduation rates of participating students.
Eligibility
The program is federally funded to serve 165 students annually and is available to students who meet the following criteria:
- Enrolled or accepted for enrollment at CU Denver as an undergraduate student
- First-generation college students, meaning neither parent has a four-year college degree
- Low-income college students as outlined by the Department of Education criteria
- Students with a documented disability
- Require academic support
- Citizens or permanent residents of the United States
Expectations of Participants
Once a student is accepted to participate in the program, the participant is expected to attend an orientation
and fulfill the following requirements each semester:
- Meet with a peer mentor at least two times during the fall and spring semesters
- Meet with professional staff at least two times each semester
- Attend one skill building workshop during the fall and spring semesters
- Attend one financial literacy session each semester