President’s Fiscal Year 2026 “skinny budget”, proposing massive cuts of $163 billion to non-defense programs. Included in the cuts, TRIO and GEAR UP face near elimination, depriving students from families with low incomes, first generation college students, and students with disabilities of critical support services at institutions that promote achievement throughout the educational pipeline.
TRIO and GEAR UP are the Federal Government’s Primary Programs for Supporting Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Students Toward Educational Achievement
Each TRIO program serves a different demographic, but all participants must demonstrate the need for academic support to pursue education beyond secondary school and at least two-thirds of the program participants must be low-income, first-generation students. Below is a list of the TRIO programs and the student populations that receive support.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) aims to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education, beginning in middle school. Funds are also used to provide scholarships to low-income students to increase their opportunities for access and success in college. GEAR UP grants are competitive, six-year matching grants where grantees, typically states, must match at least 50 percent of the federal contribution to the program, commonly known as a dollar-for-dollar match requirement. To be eligible for GEAR UP, a minimum of 50 percent of a school’s population must be enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.
Elimination of College Access and Success Programs Impacts 1.4 million Students
The Administration’s proposal would eliminate $1.6 billion of support to colleges and universities that serve over 880,000 students through TRIO and 560,000 students through GEAR UP, claiming that students from low-income backgrounds no longer face obstacles in accessing or completing college. That would result in a reduction of tens of thousands fewer staff who support students from low-income families in completing college applications, understanding their choices, and getting support to graduate. These cuts would harm first-generation students, rural students, students with disabilities, and veterans and would be concentrated in broad access institutions and public schools that already serve more students with the fewest resources.
Students from Low-Income Backgrounds are Less Likely to Enroll and Complete College
The federal government invested in TRIO and GEAR UP programs to focus on increasing the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education, recognizing that college access and success are still significantly determined by family wealth. The college enrollment gap based on the socioeconomic status of a student’s family is persistent: students from wealthy families are almost 3.5 times more likely to attend college than students from low-income families, at 78% and 28%, respectively. College completion rates between wealthy students and low-income students are also disparate; 76% of students from the upper income bracket complete college in six years versus 48% of students from the bottom income bracket.
Improving College Access and Completion Provides the Best Opportunity for Economic Mobility
TRIO programs originated in the original Higher Education Act in 1965 and have helped students navigate complex college systems for 60 years. They provide holistic and sustained student supports that address both academic and non-academic barriers to college success including advising, tutoring, financial literacy, and mentorship. In general, the evaluation results across TRIO programs show they make a positive impact on the academic outcomes of participants. Similarly, research has demonstrated GEAR UP’s impact on a range of student outcomes, including increased high school performance and college-going rates for low-income students.
The federal government has not invested in comprehensive evaluations for TRIO and GEAR UP in recent years. Continued support for these programs is crucial, as is the opportunity to study and assess their impact so grantees can strengthen their programs to best support students. Increasing the number of low-income students that graduate from college improves their likelihood of employment, increased lifetime earnings, and the ability to repay any loans they take out to finance their college education.
The proposed defunding of TRIO and GEAR UP programs will reduce access to the comprehensive supports students need to complete a college degree. We urge Congress to reject the proposal to eliminate TRIO and GEAR UP programs and to continue its support for a more equitable higher education system that is open to all.
