About TRIO and Pre-College Programs
TRIO & Pre-College Programs provide educational access and opportunities to individuals and families without regard to gender, ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status. We provide participants and their families with information, support, and academic services with the goal of increasing the number of diverse individuals who will complete their high school education and attend and graduate from college. Our firm belief and the premise of our work is that education empowers communities to inspire future generations to effect positive personal and social change and growth.
While the need for post-secondary education is acknowledged as mandatory to the success of many individuals, the fact remains that there are persistent gaps among students, especially across racial/ethnic groups and in relation to family finances, that affect educational aspirations, college enrollment, and retention, and graduation.
Services include tutoring, college visits, academic instructional programming, and residential experiences – including room & board plus meals – for students. Since the late 1960s, Pre-College Programs have been part of the UWM campus. Throughout that time, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has funded hundreds of thousands of students’ participation in program activities. Over the years, programming expanded to include the TRIO programs. Trio added more supportive and educational services for disadvantaged students to support academic excellence and college attendance.
Briefly, TRIO’s existence is owed to the passing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Program was dubbed TRIO because it was originally a group of just 3 programs. Today UWM is home to eight TRIO programs that are administered, funded, and implemented by the United States Department of Education.
