For Alumni

Are you ready to be part of something bigger? The National TRIO Alumni Association (NTAA) beckons you to a realm of endless possibilities. Our mission transcends mere connections – we’re here to ignite the legacy of TRIO programs and kindle everlasting bonds among alumni, students, and partners.

POLICY SEMINAR 2025

TRIO has never faced a larger challenge. We need to defend our programs.

The incoming administration has openly targeted education generally and TRIO, in particular, through past budget proposals, which would have eliminated entire programs and shifted TRIO to block grant funding to the states. During the 2025 Policy Seminar, you’ll have the chance to join forces with TRIO alumni, professionals, and advocates nationwide. This event includes our Leadership Summit, Seminar on Relations with the U.S. Department of Education, and Legislative Conference—a powerful lineup designed to prepare you to advocate fiercely for TRIO. Download the paper registration form for TRIO alumni not employed by TRIO here.

SECURE YOUR SPOT HERE

COE uniquely advocates for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities in policy meetings. On January 3, 2025, the 119th Congress begins, bringing many new Members of Congress. It’s crucial for the TRIO community to “walk the Hill” to educate Congress on the history and impact of Federal TRIO Programs. Conference participants will receive advocacy training to prepare for these Congressional visits. IMPORTANT NOTE: All congressional meetings will be held in person on Capitol Hill. If you have any questions, please contact Diane Shust at [email protected] or Owen Toomey at [email protected].

Unlock the Power of Connection

Download this comprehensive guide to help TRIO programs organize, inspire, and empower their alumni communities.

TRIO alumni are living proof of the transformative power of education. By creating opportunities for alumni to give back, mentor students, and advocate for TRIO, you’re not just strengthening your community—you’re ensuring TRIO’s legacy continues to thrive. This resource is perfect for TRIO program staff, alumni leaders, and volunteers ready to build vibrant networks and meaningful connections.

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What’s Inside the Toolkit?

Learn how to establish or revitalize your alumni chapter with detailed instructions on organizing leadership, creating events, and fostering connections.

Discover how to pair alumni with current students and design events that build professional and personal relationships.

Equip alumni to champion TRIO programs through storytelling, legislative engagement, and grassroots campaigns.

From pinning ceremonies to regional conferences, explore creative ways to celebrate and unite your alumni.

Amplify your alumni initiatives online with branding tips, content ideas, and engagement strategies.

Track your program’s impact with metrics and feedback tools to ensure sustainable success.

We want to know more about you

Create or Update your TRIO alumni profile to share more details about your accomplishments and about the TRIO program you participated in.

We’ve transferred most TRIO alumni records from our old platform into a new system, so use the search module to find your alumni record in our new database and set a new password. No match? Click the button at the bottom of the page to create a new account. Update your basic information, such as current employer, and job title. From federal advocacy to mentorship, there are myriad ways to engage with the association. Tell us how you want to get involved! Enter details about your TRIO program and then that’s it! Once your new profile is saved, you can view and edit it as needed in the future.

CREATE OR UPDATE YOUR ALUMNI PROFILE

News & Impact

Latest Articles

Upward Bound

Upward Bound

Upward Bound (UB) is an intensive intervention program that prepares students for higher education through various enrichment courses. Campus-based UB programs provide students instruction in literature, composition, mathematics, science, and foreign language during the school year and the summer. UB also offers intensive mentoring and support for students as they prepare for college entrance exams and tackle admission applications, financial aid, and scholarship forms. 956 Upward Bound projects are serving more than 70,000 students. Recent analysis from the U.S. Department of Education showed that 86 percent of Upward Bound students in the 2013–14 high school graduation cohort enrolled immediately in college following high school graduation.

Upward Bound Math-Science

Upward Bound Math-Science

Using a similar model to Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science provides students with a rigorous math and science curriculum in high school to encourage and enable them to successfully major in critically important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines in college. Currently, there are 211 projects serving more than 13,100 students. Indeed, 70% of Upward Bound Math-Science programs have postsecondary enrollments of 80% or higher.

Veterans Upward Bound

Veterans Upward Bound

The Veterans Upward Bound program provides intensive basic skills development and short-term remedial courses for military veterans to help them successfully transition to postsecondary education. Veterans learn to secure support from available resources such as the Veterans Administration, veterans associations, and various state and local agencies that serve veterans. There are 64 Veterans Upward Bound projects serving more than 8,400 students. According to the National Association of Veterans Upward Bound Program Personnel, in 2010-2011, more than 60% of recent program participants were enrolled in postsecondary education programs.

Student Support Services

Student Support Services

Student Support Services projects work to enable low-income students to stay in college until they earn their baccalaureate degrees. Participants, who include disabled college students, receive tutoring, counseling, and remedial instruction. More than 202,000 students are now being served by 1,069 Student Support Service programs at colleges and universities nationwide. Recent studies of Student Support Services found that program participation resulted in statistically significant higher student retention and transfer rates, improved grade point averages, and credit accumulation. Program participants also bested their similarly situated peers in degree completion at two-year colleges (41% vs. 28%) and four-year colleges (48% vs. 40%).

Educational Opportunity Centers

Educational Opportunity Centers

Educational Opportunity Centers serve displaced or underemployed workers from families. These Centers help individuals choose a college and a suitable financial aid program. There are 142 Educational Opportunity Centers in America, serving more than 199,000 individuals. A recent analysis of performance data of the Educational Opportunity Centers found that more than half (57.6%) of “college-ready” students enrolled in institutions of higher learning and 71% of eligible EOC participants (high school seniors, postsecondary dropouts) applied to college.

Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program

Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement program encourages low-income students and minority undergraduates to consider careers in college teaching and prepare for doctoral study. Students who participate in this program are provided with research opportunities and faculty mentors. This program was named in honor of the astronaut who died in the 1986 space-shuttle explosion. Currently, there are 187 projects serving more than 5,200 students. According to recent performance data, in 2013-14, 69% of McNair participants who graduated in 2010-11 were enrolled in graduate school; meanwhile, 83% of students who first enrolled in graduate school in 2012-2013 persisted in their studies.

FOR THE CLASS OF 2024

As Graduation Season Nears, Be Sure to Plan Your TRIO Celebration

Graduating from high school or college is a significant achievement that deserves recognition and celebration. Your graduating TRIO students have worked hard and dedicated several years to their education, and acknowledging their efforts can be a great source of motivation and pride. We have attached some information on how your program might be able to launch such a celebration, including examples of how other TRIO programs celebrate their students’ academic success and how to use grant funds to purchase NTAA-branded graduation regalia.

SHOP TRIO REGALIA

Get TRIO Alumni Updates

Our in-person and online community allows TRIO alumni from around the world to connect and stay current with TRIO news and events; join local alumni groups; network with peers; and post, share, or browse career opportunities. Stay connected to receive updates on TRIO alumni networking events in your area, job and mentorship opportunities.

Keep In Touch

TRIO Alumni As Advocates

Here’s how you can get involved

Take action and tell your Member of Congress how TRIO works! The Take Action Now page will allow you to send a message on current TRIO issues in Congress. Use the toolkit below to stay in constant contact with Congress at each point in the appropriations process.

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National TRIO Achiever Awards

Celebrating the Success of TRIO Students and the TRIO Programs

Celebrating the success of TRIO students and the TRIO programs, the Council for Opportunity in Education and members of the college access and success community are proud to honor the 2022 National TRIO Achievers. These men and women have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions and are making remarkable contributions to their community. The public recognition of TRIO alumni is an exceptional opportunity to acknowledge that TRIO makes a difference in the lives of thousands of students whose future success depends on their access to higher education. We congratulate this year’s TRIO Achievers and past award winners who continue to inspire both college access and success professionals and current students.

National TRIO Achiever Award

FACES OF TRIO

Have you completed your Faces of TRIO profile?

Share your TRIO story via COE’s Faces of TRIO and help COE raise awareness of the effectiveness of TRIO programs. Complete and share our short survey to help us capture more TRIO experiences. These alumni profiles will be shared across social media and on select TRIO Alumni Spotlights.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Tommy Walls

Director, Alumni Relations and Career Opportunities

Tommy C. Walls, Jr. is a charismatic and innovative leader recently hired as the director, alumni relations and career opportunities for the Council for Opportunity in Education. Walls obtained his BA degree in Social Welfare & Justice and graduated as a TRIO Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Ronald E. McNair alumnus from Marquette University. Walls then graduated with an MSW (Master of Social Work), concentrating in advocacy, leadership, and social change from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Walls holds more than 13 years of nonprofit management, youth development, executive leadership development, and advocacy for at-risk, first-generation, and low-income students. Before COE, Walls was the executive director of Communities In Schools of High Point-North Carolina, Inc, a drop-out prevention program providing K-12 students and communities with the resources to become equitable and thriving. His perspective is to care for the whole person. He uses organization through an intrinsic lens to motivate others to fulfill their passions with integrity, humility, and poise. His innovative logic and strategies have provided more than 10,000 youth and executive professionals with the insight to become change agents and transformational leaders. Walls enjoys playing basketball, traveling, logic games, and enjoying time with family and friends. Walls is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Full Bio

Resources for Alumni

Get tools to support your involvement in TRIO advocacy, award recognition, or career opportunities.

By providing academic, financial, social, and cultural support, TRIO programs have allowed over 6 million low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities to enter and graduate from college. TRIO alumni, we can connect with your state and regional liaisons and engage with alumni association activity at the state and regional levels.

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Trio programs

Who is Served

Federal TRIO Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans’ Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students to overcome economic, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education.

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faces of trio

Success Stories

Christina Westbrook

Student Support Services, Illinois State University

Colette Yellow Robe

Student Support Services, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Edwin C. Serrano

Upward Bound Math-Science, University of Texas at Arlington

Gabrielle A. Davis

Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, Southern Arkansas University

Jarell Green

Student Support Services, University of Nevada, Reno

Kel Bonton

Talent Search, COPE Inc.

Seth Fairchild

Upward Bound Math-Science, Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Tameka Ellington

Upward Bound, Cuyahoga Community College

Support Us

As a TRIO alumnus, you are a part of a TRIO legacy of success. Your support helps ensure the next 6 million students get the chance to achieve their dreams.

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Partner with Us

As a part of our talented alumni network, there are many ways to get involved with COE and help increase college access and success for over 875,000 students each year.

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Join Us

Join COE and the National TRIO Alumni Association to engage, reconnect and network with thousands of alumni to further the success of TRIO graduates and students.

JOIN THE NTAA