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COE Blasts Latest Federal Proposal for TRIO, Calls for Immediate Rescission

March 31, 2026 — by Terrance L. Hamm

For the second time in as many weeks, the Trump Administration aims to dramatically reduce program reach and undermine college access for low-income and first-generation students across the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) today issued a forceful condemnation of the U.S. Department of Education’s newly released application for the FY 2026 TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) grant competition, warning that the proposal represents a sweeping and harmful departure from TRIO’s core mission of expanding college access.

Mirroring the recently issued application for TRIO’s Talent Search program,  the EOC grant application, released March 30, introduces structural and policy changes that could significantly alter how services are delivered and sharply reduce the number of programs nationwide.

Under the proposed framework, the number of EOC grantees would drop from 160 to just 55, a reduction of more than 65 percent, while imposing new requirements that shift program focus toward workforce development pathways.

“EOC has long been a pathway for adult learners seeking to re-enter the postsecondary pipeline,” said COE President Kimberly Jones. “However, the FY 2026 proposal’s emphasis on workforce-aligned pathways, including apprenticeships and short-term credential programs, signals a troubling shift away from TRIO’s longstanding focus on college access and completion. More disturbingly, the proposal would shrink access to these services to a handful of states, potentially eradicating college-going support services for adults in areas where those services are needed most.”

COE warns that this redirection, combined with a drastic reduction in grant funding, would limit access to services nationwide, particularly for communities already facing barriers to higher education.

COE further emphasized that the proposal risks destabilizing existing programs by concentrating funding into fewer, larger awards and prioritizing state-level entities, potentially displacing long-standing community-based and institutional providers.

COE is calling on Congress to intervene immediately by urging the Department of Education to rescind the current EOC application, revise it in alignment with TRIO’s statutory mission, and reissue it in a manner that ensures no disruption in services for students.

On March 17, the U.S. Department of Education issued its Fiscal Year 2026 Talent Search RFP. Talent Search currently operates 517 programs nationwide serving about 300,000 low-income and first-generation middle and high school students each year, a capacity that the FY 2026 proposal would slash by more than half.

To learn more about the Federal TRIO Programs, visit coenet.org.

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Terrance L. Hamm, vice president for communications and marketing at COE via email at [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.

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