News & Impact/Advocacy Update/

Senate Committee Approves $20M Increase for TRIO Programs: Here’s How to Keep the Momentum

August 1, 2024 — by Kimberly Jones

The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed the FY25 funding bill, which includes a $20 million increase for TRIO Programs, and now is a crucial time to continue advocacy efforts for final approval.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) funding bill for Fiscal Year 2025 – which funds the Federal TRIO Programs – this morning. The LHHS bill includes a $20 million increase over the FY24 budget for TRIO. This $20 million increase was requested by the Department of Education in the President’s Budget Request for additional Student Support Services projects and would bring the total TRIO budget to $1.211 billion. The bill also includes a $5 million increase for the GEAR UP program and another $5 million increase for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS), and a $100 dollar increase to the maximum Pell Grant award to $7,495. A summary of the bill can be found here.

This bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 26-2. This is a great step forward and we’re thrilled to see the bipartisan support for the TRIO Programs. As a reminder, the House and Senate will still need to work together to establish a final TRIO budget for FY25 – the House did not provide an increase to the TRIO budget in its version of the bill, leaving it at $1.191 billion. The negotiations will continue throughout the coming months, and we don’t anticipate a final bill to be passed until after the November elections.

With that in mind, advocacy continues! With the Senate markup passing the bill today, now is a great time to reach out to your Senate and ask them to support the $20 million increase to TRIO. Additionally, please thank the Senators on the LHHS Subcommittee (the list can be found here), the full Appropriations Committee (the list can be found here), and especially full Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), and LHHS Subcommittee Chair Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Staff contacts can be found here.

Get in Touch

Questions? Contact COE Vice President for Public Policy Diane Shust.

Diane Shust

Vice President, Public Policy [email protected]

Owen Toomey

Director, Congressional Affairs [email protected]

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