TRIO Organizations
Arkansas Association of Student Assistance Programs (AASAP)
The Arkansas Association of Student Assistance Programs (AASAP) is an association made up of personnel representing the 68 federal TRIO programs in Arkansas.
SouthWest Association of Student Assistance Programs (SWASAP)
The SouthWest Association of Student Assistance Programs (SWASAP), founded in 1973, is an association made up of personnel representing the federal TRIO programs from five states; Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Mission Statement: SWASAP is a non-profit, regional association whose purpose is to advance and defend the idea of educational opportunity for all TRIO eligible individuals. SWASAP provides, to its members, the guidance and support needed to foster those activities necessary to enable the target population to persist in achieving its educational goals.
For additional information, see the SWASAP site at http://www.swasap.org/
Council for Opportunity in Education (COE): The National TRIO Organization
The Council for Opportunity in Education is a nonprofit organization, established in 1981, dedicated to furthering the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the United States. Through its numerous membership services, the Council works in conjunction with colleges, universities, and agencies that host TRIO Programs to specifically help low-income Americans enter college and graduate.
Federal TRIO Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math Science, Veteran's Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) helps students to overcome class, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education.
TRIO services include: assistance in choosing a college; tutoring; personal and financial counseling; career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; and academic assistance in high school or assistance to re-enter high school or college.
The work of educational opportunity organizations has contributed significant accomplishments:
- an estimated 2 million students graduating from college;
- the integration of 2,700 TRIO Programs into college campuses, serving nearly 900,000 students (two-thirds of whom come from families with incomes under $24,000 -- family of four);
- the establishment of performance standards that are subject to specific outcome measures. Each program's continued funding is dependent upon meeting quantifiable objectives related to college entrance and graduation rates;
- increased national awareness of equal educational opportunity issues and diversity in America's colleges and universities; and
- leveraged $832.6 million in FY04 to support TRIO Programs ($174.9 in 1985)
The mission of the Council is to advance and defend the ideal of equal educational opportunity in postsecondary education. As such, the focus of the Council is assuring that the least advantaged segments of the American population have a realistic chance to enter and graduate from a postsecondary institution. A secondary purpose of the Council is to provide a voice and a political vehicle for administrators, counselors and teachers who are employed in institutionally-, state- and federally-funded opportunity programs, especially those professionals with TRIO programs.
For additional information, see the COE site at http://www.TRIOprograms.org/