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COE Rejects Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs in FY 2027 Budget

April 3, 2026 — by Trauvello Stevenson

President Trump’s newly released 2027 budget proposes the complete elimination of the Federal TRIO Programs, which have helped millions of low-income, first-generation students – including veterans, adult learners, and students with disabilities – succeed in higher education for over 60 years.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) today issued a forceful condemnation of the Trump Administration’s FY 2027 budget proposal to eliminate the Federal TRIO Programs, calling the proposal a direct attack on students and communities across the nation.

TRIO programs currently serve more than 817,000 students – including military veterans and students with disabilities – annually through approximately 3,400 programs nationwide, providing essential services such as academic advising, mentoring, financial aid guidance, and college preparation.

“Attempts to eliminate TRIO amounts to a declaration that access to higher education no longer matters,” said COE President Kimberly Jones. “This proposal turns its back on low-income students – ranging from middle-schoolers to working parents – who are fighting to overcome barriers and build better futures for themselves and their families.”

As it did last year, the Administration revives its argument that states, localities, and institutions of higher education should absorb TRIO’s responsibilities. COE strongly rejects this premise, noting that levels of college-going rates among low-income students continue to vary widely from state to state (ranging from 8% in Alaska to 40% in New Jersey). Looking beyond college enrollment, low-come students continue to trail behind students from higher income families in terms of college completion. As recently as 2022, students from the highest income families had a bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 58% as compared with students from the lowest income families, who had a bachelor’s degree attainment rate of just 16%. These vast disparities underscore the continued need for the federal investment in the comprehensive, wraparound services TRIO delivers.

“This proposal ignores reality,” said Diane Shust, COE vice president for public policy. “TRIO exists because these supports do not happen automatically. Without TRIO, hundreds of thousands of students will lose access to the guidance and support that make college success possible.”

COE emphasized that TRIO’s impact is both measurable and significant, with participants demonstrating higher rates of college enrollment, persistence, and completion compared to their peers.

“TRIO is one of the most effective and enduring federal investments in education,” said Dr. Arnold Mitchem, president emeritus of COE. “Eliminating it is abandonment. We would be walking away from generations of students whose potential has yet to be realized.”

COE is calling on Congress to, once again, reject the proposed elimination of TRIO and to strengthen its investment in programs that have proven to expand opportunity and drive economic mobility for millions of Americans.

“Last year, Congress stood with students and preserved TRIO,” Jones added. “We are calling on them to do so again. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.”

About the Council for Opportunity in Education
The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is a nonprofit organization, established in 1981, dedicated to furthering the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Pacific Islands, and Puerto Rico. Its membership includes more than 1,000 colleges and agencies. Through its numerous membership services, the Council works with colleges, universities, and agencies to help low-income students enter college and graduate. Over a million low-income students and students with disabilities each year receive college access and retention services through our member colleges and agencies.

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Trauvello Stevenson, digital media manager at COE via email at [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.

COE Rejects Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs in FY 2027 Budget

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