Special Support Services
Cultural Events
National TRiO Day
Special Support Services is one of several programs funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Congress established such programs to help first-generation and low-income Americans enter college, graduate, and move on to participate more fully in the economic and social life of our country. While student financial aid programs help students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRIO programs help students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to higher education.
Each year, formal celebrations of the accomplishments of TRiO programs, known as National TRIO Day, are held during the month of February throughout the USA, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. This year, TRiO Day falls on Saturday, February 21, 2009. Special Support Services will celebrate on Friday, February 20, 2009 with a short reception in the Learning Lab from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.
TRiO programs currently serve more than 873,000 first-generation, low-income, or disabled students. These programs have proven to be the decisive factor in the successful completion of a higher education for those with the greatest need. In fact, since 1965 an estimated 2.2 million students have graduated from college with the special assistance and support of the nation's TRiO programs. The SSS program at UNCG was one of the first grant recipient programs in the nation, having been established in 1970. It has consistently been in the top 10% of such programs in the nation.