News & Impact/In the News/

TRIO in the News, Summer 2025

July 8, 2025 — by Terrance L. Hamm

The Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 “skinny” budget proposes eliminating all $1.2 billion in federal TRIO funding—citing concerns over performance measures and accountability—even as TRIO programs currently serve roughly 870,000 low-income, first-generation, and disabled students nationwide (about 17,500 in Colorado). Bipartisan opposition—from Senate TRIO Caucus co-chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and other lawmakers to Colorado education leaders and the Council for Opportunity in Education—underscores TRIO’s demonstrated track record of boosting college access and completion and makes it likely that Congress will reject the proposed cuts.

National: Eliminating programs that improve higher education access is a huge mistake

National: TRIO Advocates Fearful After Several Grants Discontinued

National: Legislature rejects ‘draconian’ cuts to UC and CSU, keeps TK-12 funding intact

National: Trump Wants to Cut More Than 40 Federal K-12 Programs. See Which Ones

National: McMahon Fields Questions from Senators on Cuts to Maximum Pell Grant, TRIO, and More Student Aid Programs in President Trump’s Budget Request

National: #AdvocateFirstGen Guest Opinion: TRIO is Working—Don’t Let it Disappear

National: TRIO cuts emerge as Education budget sticking point

National: These colleges look to overcome cuts to federal student support

National: Trump Proposes Cutting Pell Grants in Order to Avert Shortfall

National: Federal Cancellations of Upward Bound Grants Signal Broader Threat to College Access Programs

National: McMahon defends $12B proposed cut to the Education Department

Arizona: Federal funding pulled from Upward Bound program offered by PCC

Arizona: The Cost of Cutting TRIO – U of A Research

California: Eliminating programs that improve higher education access is a huge mistake

California: Low-income, first-generation students could lose vital college resource under Trump’s budget cuts

California: TRIO program faces budget cuts within the next year

California: Guest column: TRIO is not a relic, it’s a lifeline

California: Trump plan to cut programs that get poor kids into college makes no sense

California: Trump’s budget would reduce Pell Grant awards and work-study programs

Colorado: Colorado students, education leaders try to help TRIO college-access program avoid Trump cuts

Connecticut: TRIO transforms lives – but for how long?

Connecticut: 25 CT programs serving low-Income, first-gen students at risk

Georgia: SSU’s Upward Bound Program celebrates 2025 graduates during annual bridging ceremony

Guam: UOG TRIO sends 2 high school students to National Student Leadership Congress

Illinois: Lake Land College And TRIO Destination College Host STEM Camp For Mattoon Middle School Students

Illinois: Lake Land College TRIO Students Honored At Banquet

Indiana:  Thousands of Indiana students benefit from a college-access program Trump wants to end

Iowa: TRIO on Trump’s chopping block

Kansas: TRiO Interns Advocate at National Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C.

Louisiana: Local students fear for the future as President Trump’s budget proposal threatens the Federal TRIO Program

Louisiana: Letters: UNO’s Upward Bound program doesn’t deserve to be cut

Maine: Sen. Collins says she helped secure Upward Bound funding for Maine

Massachusetts: Trump cuts would devastate community colleges, undermining lower-income students striving to better their lives

Massachusetts: Programs to support N.H.s neediest students in jeopardy because of Trump administrations proposed cuts

Michigan: Annual EMU STEM Day hosted by EMU’s TRIO Upward Bound program and the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology

Minnesota: TRIO alum urge Congress to protect federal TRIO programs

Missouri: Federal cuts could gut Mizzou programs that support first-gen students

New Mexico: Student support workers in NM decry proposed federal cuts to TRIO Programs

North Carolina: TRIO funding cut proposal worries educators and students

North Carolina: TRIO Program faces cuts: What it could mean for students and families

Ohio: TRIO Talent Search guides students toward college, careers and the military

Oregon: Trump administration plans to abolish TRIO college access programs; Collins wants to save them

South Carolina: The Future of TRIO Programs

South Carolina: Public University invites alumni of TRIO programs to tell success stories given the uncertain future of the proposed budget

Tennessee: ETSU speaks on potential Pell Grant reductions, TRiO closure

Texas: Del Mar College promotes option to continue education with TRIO Educational Opportunity Center

Virginia: TRIO Programs open doors to college for first-generation students

Washington: Federal delays and Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ jeopardize college program for students from migrant families

Washington: Proposed TRIO cuts to impact around 1,300 BBCC students

Washington: Trio and Trio STEM programs face potential termination amid federal budget cuts

West Virginia: West Virginia’s TRIO Program Which Supports First Gen College Students Faces Funding Cuts

West Virginia: WV’s TRIO program, which supports first-gen college students, faces funding cuts

Wisconsin: Upward Bound boosts college readiness for Madison’s first-generation students

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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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