TRIO Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services

What this cut would actually mean

Ending federal funding would shut down the college-prep tutoring, mentoring, financial-aid guidance, and academic coaching that these students currently receive, since the plan expects states to pick up the role but does not guarantee replacement funding. Research cited by the Council for Opportunity in Education shows Upward Bound students are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor's degree and Talent Search students are more likely to enroll in college than similar peers, so losing these services would likely mean fewer low-income and first-generation students starting or finishing college, hitting hardest in under-resourced and rural communities that have few other options for this kind of support.

Why this hits Alabama harder

TRIO programs help students who are low-income and often the first in their family to go to college, and Alabama has a much bigger share of poverty than most states. In 2023, about 15.6% of Alabamians lived in poverty, well above the national rate of around 11-12%. Because Alabama has more low-income families and many rural areas with fewer college resources, ending TRIO would likely hit Alabama harder than it would hit the country as a whole.

• Poverty rate Alabama U.S. 2023 | Statista — Reports that about 15.6% of Alabama's population lived below the poverty line in 2023, higher than the national average.
• Overcoming Poverty: Fast facts about Alabama's poverty rates - WSFA — Notes Alabama's poverty rate is several percentage points higher than the national poverty rate, showing the state's above-average share of low-income residents who are the main group TRIO serves.