Trio and GEAR UP Programs: Status and Issues

Publication Date: June 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

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Abstract:

The Higher Education Act (HEA) is the source of over $52 billion in federally supported grant, loan, and work-study assistance to help meet the costs of postsecondary education. The HEA also supports several programs that complement this student aid by providing services and incentives to disadvantaged students to help increase their secondary or postsecondary educational attainment. Foremost among these programs are the federal Trio programs and the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP).

Each program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education and support many similar activities and objectives. Trio is primarily intended for individuals who are low-income, first-generation college students, or are disabled -- the precise population differs among the various programs. GEAR UP directs its support to individuals from low-income elementary and secondary schools. The goal of both programs is to increase disadvantaged students' high school completion and enrollment in higher education by providing a variety of academic, counseling, and college preparatory services. GEAR UP includes a scholarship component, while Trio provides financial aid counseling and work-study employment.

The funding authorizations for Trio and GEAR UP expired along with the rest of the HEA during the 108th Congress and were temporarily extended through FY2005 (P.L. 108-366). Given that increasing access to higher education has been a primary goal of the HEA, whether these and other HEA programs adequately promote this objective will be a central issue as Congress considers reauthorization. Other possible topics of concern are program consolidation and coordination, overall authorization levels, amounts for student grants and scholarships, the nature of program services, the status of program evaluations and the definition of eligible students and campuses.

This report will be updated as legislative action occurs.