Department of Education
Federal TRIO Programs
The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects and a dissemination partnership program to encourage the replication or adaptation of successful practices of TRIO projects at institutions and agencies that do not have TRIO grants. (Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html)
TRIO TALENT SEARCH ~Program Description
This program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to the post secondary institution of their choice. Talent Search also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to reenter the education system and complete their education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youths from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in post secondary education institutions of their choice. (Source: http://www.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/index.html)
LAWS, REGULATIONS & GUIDANCE
Legislation
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315) (HEOA) was enacted on August 14, 2008. This law reauthorizes and extends the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The Higher Education Act (HEA) provides the statutory authority for most of the programs administered by Office of Post secondary Enrollment, as well as for the Federal Student Aid Programs.
The HEOA includes changes to many existing programs and also authorizes a number of new programs. We will post information on this new legislation (http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html) as it becomes available.
The link below provides the program statute in effect until the enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
- Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Subpart 2, Chapter 1, Sections 402A and 402B PDF (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/triohea.pdf) (34K)
- 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070a-12
Regulations
- Title 34 Code of Federal Regulations Part 643 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/34cfr643_07.html)
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), (http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html) 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 85, and 86
Guidance
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a021_2004/)