Del Rio 1

Del Rio Evelyn

Professor Batty

English 101

26 March 2019

TRiO is Here to Help: An Insight On Low Income First Generation Students and Their

Journey to be Successful

For as long as I can remember, we were always told that we need to go to college in order

to be successful, and that stuck with most of us throughout our whole life, but they failed to

mention the struggles many college students will face. For instance, first generation low income

college students are struggling to pay for their college expenses and most do not know where to

find the aid they so desperately need. These college students are students who are the first in

their family to attend college or university, but face financial struggles. This category of

scholars, specifically those with low income, undergo many challenges along the way such as the

struggle to clear their fees. They have no idea where they can get the aid to help them steer their

academic journey, however there are programs which are available in university and colleges for

instance the TRiO program that could be very helpful to the students to overcome the difficulties

of paying their fees and other expenses.

It is only about 30% of first generation scholars who make it to university and colleges to

pursue undergraduate courses (Fernandez). One third of that percentage is of the age of thirty

years and above. Mostly, this category of students get involved for part-time class, which implies

that a good percentage of them take more than the intended years of schooling, four years to

graduate. Two-thirds of first-generation students get admitted to a for-profit or community

college or university. A good percentage of the first generation students hardly make it to
 Del Rio 2

graduation at the right time because of several obstacles. Such challenges include; college

readiness, they are always unprepared to pursue college education hence making them struggle to

navigate their resources. The biggest problem still remains, the financial one. They lack adequate

capital to not only cater for their tuition expenses but also their daily needs while attending

college. Other challenges include unfamiliarity with college curriculum, racial disparity, and low

self-esteem among others.

A single solution that can help them is programs which are available in universities and

colleges, for instance, the TRIO programs. They are designed to provide counseling and

mentorship as well as find the right aid to students of lower income or disadvantaged

backgrounds.TRiO provides many programs to individuals to serve and assist low-income

individuals, first-generation college students to assist them starting from middle school all the

way till college. TRiO also includes a training program for directors and staff .It can significantly

help scholars from humble background and setups go through college or university with ease

("TRIO Home Page").

One program includes the Upward Bound. This is among the first TRIO program. It is

mainly concerned with students from high school who come from less fortunate backgrounds,

live in rural setups, or have parents with no college or universities knowledge (Fernandez). The

scholars who successfully enter Upward Bound program are entitled to personal grants.

The second program is Talent Search, also known as TS(Fernandez). It targets students

from families with low income or have parents who do not have college and university

education. Though it is grant sponsored, it uses intervention mechanisms to aid scholars who are

in high schools and middle schools proceed to an institution of higher learning such as colleges

and universities.
 Del Rio 3

The third program is Student Support Services. It is an original service under the

umbrella of the TRIO program (Fernandez). It is also called SSS. For this program, grants are

entitled to colleges and universities through a national competition. It is designed to assist

scholars throughout college or university, including their basic needs and also graduation fees. It

is intended towards college or university retention, graduation charges, and aiding scholars who

are getting Pell Grants.

The fourth one is the Veterans Upward Bound, also known as the VUB. It is solely

designed for veterans. It empowers women and men who have sacrificed to serve the country in

the military to transfigure more efficiently into universities and colleges ("Upward Bound Math-

Science"). VUB offers free college and universities in the field such as Mathematics, English,

and Computer Science. The veterans get personalized consideration from experienced lecturers

and mentors. They also receive wide-ranging support services, for example, guidance and

advisement on GI Bill assistance with the college or university admissions and registration

procedures.

The fifth program is the Educational Opportunity Centers. It is also called EOC. It

provides advising and information on postsecondary schooling chances to eligible adults who are

willing to join or continue with any program of postsecondary teaching (Fernandez).

Additionally, the program offers services to improve the economic and financial literacy of the

applicants. An essential goal of the project is that it advises the applicants on economic aid

options, including financial organization capabilities to help fill out the necessary applications.

EOC's objective is to raise the number of adult applicants enrolling for postsecondary education

institutes.

The sixth program under the TRIO program is Upward Bound Math-Science. This
 Del Rio 4

program is designed to fortify the science and math capabilities of participating scholars

(Fernandez). The objective of this program is to assist scholars in recognizing and build their

potential and excel in science and math hence encouraging them to future pursue degrees in the

field of the two disciplines.

However, as much as programs such as TRIO is highly advocated for first-generation

scholars, it has its limitations. For example, some of the funds given as grants might be required

to be paid back by the beneficiaries once the college life gets completed. It may attract huge

interest thus disadvantaging the scholar.

Based on the points above, it is right to conclude that first-generation scholars should find

an appropriate TRIO program that fit them well. It will help the student from the less fortunate

background pay their fees with ease, increase their self-esteem, and overall help them succeed in

what they are trying to pursue in college.

Works Cited

Fernandez, Maria. "What It Means To Be A First-Generation College Student - College Raptor."

College Raptor Website. N.p., 2018. Web. 18 Mar. 2019.

 Del Rio 5

"TRIO Home Page." Www2.ed.gov. N.p., 2018. Web. 18 Mar. 2019.

"Upward Bound Math-Science." Www2.ed.gov. N.p., 2018. Web. 18 Mar. 2019.