U.S. Department of Education

An Interim Report on The Student Support Services Program:

2002--03 and 2003--04, With\
Select Data From 1998--2002

U.S. Department of Education

An Interim Report on The Student Support Services Program:

2002--03 and 2003--04, With\
Select Data From 1998--2002

Prepared for:

The U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

Federal TRIO Programs

By:

Yu Zhang

Tsze Chan

American Institutes for Research

2007

This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education under
Contract No. ED-01-CO-0026/0010 by the American Institutes for Research.
Shirley Johnson served as the contracting officer's representative. The
views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or
policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the
U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or
enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be
inferred.

**U.S. Department of Education\
**Margaret Spellings\
*Secretary*

**Office of Postsecondary Education\
**James Manning\
*Acting Assistant Secretary*

**Federal TRIO Programs\
**Larry Oxendine\
*Director*

March 2007

This report is in the public domain, except for the image on the cover.
Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While
permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation
should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary
Education, Federal TRIO Programs, *An Interim Report on The Student
Support Services Program: 2002--03 and 2003--04, With Select Data From
1998--2002*, Washington, D.C., 2007.

Cover photo © 2007 JupiterImages Corporation.

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# Contents

[Figures iv](#figures)

[Tables v](#tables)

[Foreword v](#foreword)

[Acknowledgments v](#acknowledgments)

[Highlights v](#highlights)

[Introduction 5](#introduction)

[Section I: Select Grantee and Active Participant Characteristics
5](#section-i)

[Section II: Program Outcome and Impact 5](#section-ii)

Appendix A: [Number of Grantee Institutions and Student Records, Select
Years 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648401)

[Appendix](#appendix-b) B: [State Tables on Funding and Select
Participant Characteristics 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648403)

[Appendix](#appendix-c) C: [Supporting Tables for Figures
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648405)

[Glossary 5](#glossary)

[References 5](#references)

# Figures

[1. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all
degree-granting\
institutions, by type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648674)

[2. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all
degree-granting\
institutions, by minority-serving and nonminority-serving status:
2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648675)

[3. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants, by
participant status\
and type of institution: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648676)

[4. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants, by
eligibility status\
and type of institution: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648677)

[5. Percentage distribution of Students Support Services participants,
by current year\
enrollment status and type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648678)

[6. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants, by
race/ethnicity and\
type of institution: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648679)

[7. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants, by
gender and type\
of institution: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648680)

# Tables

[1. Student Support Services program total funding, number of grantees,
number of participants\
funded to serve, average award, average amount per participant funded to
serve, and average\
number funded to serve by reporting years: 2002--03 and 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648825)

[2. Number and percentage of Student Support Services grantees, number
and percentage\
of SSS grantees submitting annual performance reports, and number,
percentage distribution,\
and average number of participants served, by type of institution and
reporting years:\
2002--03 and 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648826)

[3. Number and percentage of the 1999--2000 through 2002--03 full-time
Student Support\
Services freshman participants enrolled one, two, and three years after
the freshman year\
in the original, nongrantee, and any institution, by type of institution
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648827)

[4. Number and percentage of Student Support Services 1999--2003
full-time freshman\
cohort participants at two-year institutions enrolled in any institution
one and two years\
after the freshman year, by eligibility status
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648828)

[5. Number and percentage of Student Support Services 1999--2003
full-time freshman\
cohort participants at four-year institutions enrolled in any
institution one, two, and three\
years after the freshman year, by eligibility status
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648829)

[6. Number and cumulative percentage of Student Support Services
2001--02 and 2002--03\
full-time freshman cohort participants who transferred from two-year to
four-year institutions\
one and two years after the freshman year, by degree status
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648830)

[7. Number and cumulative percentage of Student Support Services
2000--03 full-time\
freshman cohort participants at two-year institutions who completed an
associate degree one, two,\
and three years after the freshman year, by eligibility status
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648831)

[8. Number and cumulative percentage of Student Support Services
1999--2001 full-time\
freshman cohort participants at four-year institutions who completed a
bachelor's degree three,\
four, and five years after the freshman year, by eligibility status
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648832)

[9. Number and cumulative percentage of Student Support Services
2000--03 full-time\
freshman cohort participants at two-year institutions who were
continuously enrolled\
for at least the first two years and completed an associate degree one,
two, and three years\
after the freshman year, by length of program services received
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648833)

# Tables

[10. Number and cumulative percentage of Student Support Services
1998--2001 full-time\
freshman cohort participants at four-year institutions who were
continuously enrolled for at least\
the first four years and completed a bachelor's degree three, four, and
five years after the\
freshman year, by length of program services received
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648834)

[A--1. Number of Student Support Services grantees and number of student
records reported in\
the 2002--03 and 2003--04 APRs 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648835)

[B--1. Number of Student Support Services grantees, funding amount,
funding rank, number\
of participants funded to serve, number served, rank of number served,
and amount\
per participant, by state: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648836)

[B--2. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,
based on race/ethnicity,\
gender, and eligibility status by state: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648837)

[C--1. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
grantees and all\
degree-granting institutions, by type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648838)

[C--2. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
grantees and all\
degree-granting institutions, by minority-serving and
nonminority-serving status: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648839)

[C--3. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants,\
by participant status and type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648840)

[C--4. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants,\
by eligibility status and type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648841)

[C--5. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants,\
by current year enrollment status and type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648842)

[C--6. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants,\
by race/ethnicity and type of institution: 2003--04
5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648843)

[C--7. Number and percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants, by gender\
and type of institution: 2003--04 5](#__RefHeading___Toc163648844)

# Foreword

To ensure the success of the *No Child Left Behind Act* of 2001,
high-quality postsecondary educational opportunities must be made
available to all students. In keeping with this goal, the Student
Support Services (SSS) program of the Federal TRIO Programs provides
outreach to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds who need
academic support to complete their education.

On behalf of the Federal TRIO Programs, we are pleased to present this
report, *An Interim Report on The Student Support Services Program:
2002--03 and 2003--04, With Select Data From 1998--2002*. The SSS
program is designed to increase college persistence and graduation rates
for eligible students, increase the transfer rates of eligible students
from two-year to four-year institutions, and foster an institutional
climate supportive of the success of low-income and first-generation
college students and individuals with disabilities.

This is the fourth in a series of reports that present a national
snapshot of the SSS program, presenting grantee data from 2002--03 and
2003--04 with select data for participant cohorts that started in
earlier years. The annual performance report (APR), submitted annually
by SSS grantees, was the primary data source for this report.

We are proud to continue our process for sharing national statistical
information on the SSS program with staff, grantees, members of Congress
and the larger education community. It is our hope that the collection
and dissemination of this information will foster a dialogue among these
groups that is aimed at assessing our mission and implementing measures
to see how well we are doing. We look forward to continuing to work
together to improve program services and increase the number of students
who earn college degrees.

Larry Oxendine

Director

Federal TRIO Programs

U.S. Department of Education

# Acknowledgments

Publishing this report is the end result of a team effort. Special
thanks are given to Frances Bergeron, Linda Byrd-Johnson, Julie Laurel,
and all other team members of the Federal TRIO Programs for reviewing
the various drafts, ensuring the accuracy of the figures reported, and
enriching the report with the context and history of the program. We
would also like to thank the Student Support Services grantees for
submitting data for the 1998--99 through 2003--04 reporting years.

# Highlights

This report describes essential characteristics and key program outcome
measures for the Student Support Services (SSS) program grantees and
participants in reporting years 2002--03 and 2003--04.

## Program Grantees and Program Participants

-   The SSS program awarded \$262.7 million to 937 grantees in the
    2002--03 reporting year and \$263.7 million to 936 grantees in the
    2003--04 reporting year (table 1). These grantees served a total of
    207,423 and 208,382 participants in reporting years 2002--03 and
    2003--04, averaging 222 and 223 students served per grant,
    respectively (table 2).

-   In both the 2002--03 and 2003--04 reporting years, about 48 percent
    of the grantees were public two-year institutions and 36 percent
    were public four-year institutions (table 2), with the remainder
    served by the private grantee institutions.

-   In the 2003--04 reporting year, about 46 percent of the participants
    were served by public two‑year institutions, and almost 40 percent
    were served by public four-year institutions (table 2), with the
    remainder served by private grantee institutions.

-   About 11 percent of the grantees were Hispanic-Serving Institutions,
    7 percent were Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and 3
    percent were Tribal Colleges and Universities. Comparable
    percentages among all degree-granting institutions in the nation
    were 6 percent, 3 percent, and 1 percent, respectively (fig. 2).

-   In the 2003--04 reporting year, approximately 41 percent of
    participants served by two-year institutions received program
    services for the first time, and the remaining 59 percent had
    received program services in previous reporting years. Comparable
    figures for participants served by four-year institutions were 38
    percent and 62 percent, respectively (fig. 3).

-   In the 2003--04 reporting year, approximately 77 percent of
    participants at two-year institutions and 74 percent at four-year
    institutions were in the eligibility categories of low-income and
    first‑generation, low-income and disabled, or disabled only. These
    percentages exceeded the statute and regulations requirements, which
    state that at least two-thirds of SSS participants must be
    low-income and first-generation, low-income and disabled, or
    disabled only (fig. 4).

## Persistence

-   Over two-thirds of the full-time freshmen in two-year institutions
    were enrolled in a postsecondary institution in the next year, and
    over half of the freshmen were enrolled two years after. Three years
    after the freshman year, about 40 percent were enrolled in a
    postsecondary institution (table 3).

-   At four-year institutions, over 82 percent of participants who
    enrolled full-time in their freshman year were enrolled in a
    postsecondary institution in the following year. Two years after the
    freshman year, over two-thirds of these freshmen were still enrolled
    in postsecondary institutions. Three years after the freshman year,
    just over 60 percent continued their enrollment in a postsecondary
    institution (table 3).

## Transfer from Two-year to Four-year Institutions

-   Two years after the freshman year, a total of about 14 percent of
    full-time freshmen who had entered two-year institutions in the
    2001--02 reporting year had transferred to four-year institutions
    (table 6).

## Degree Completion

-   Approximately 9 percent of the 2000--01 full-time freshmen at
    two-year institutions earned their associate degree from the grantee
    institution by the end of the second year. Two years after the
    freshman year, the cumulative percentage of these freshmen having
    earned their associate degree increased to 18 percent and to 23
    percent in three years after the freshman year (table 7).

-   About 11 percent of the 1998--99 freshmen at four-year institutions
    received their bachelor's degree from the grantee institution three
    years after the freshman year. Four years after the freshman year,
    the percentage of these freshmen who received their bachelor's
    degree increased to 22 percent and to 28 percent five years after
    the freshman year (table 8).

-   At four-year institutions, the first-generation only participants
    were more likely than participants of other eligibility statuses to
    earn a bachelor's degree four or five years after the freshman year
    (table 8).

## Length of Services Received and Degree Completion

-   In all the freshman cohorts examined, and across both two-year and
    four-year institutions, participants who received more years of
    services had a higher degree completion rate than participants who
    received services for fewer years (table 9 and table 10). This
    finding should be viewed as the first step toward a more thorough
    understanding of the relationship between length of services and
    degree completion. The impact of institutional and individual
    characteristics, and how they interact with program participation,
    for example, also must be considered.

# Introduction

The Student Support Services (SSS) program is one of the three original
TRIO programs authorized in 1968 by *Higher Education Act of 1965* (20
U.S.C. §1101a), as amended. The goal of SSS is to increase the
postsecondary persistence and graduation rates of low-income students,
first-generation college students, or students with disabilities and to
facilitate these students' transition from one level of higher education
to the next.[^1] SSS program services are provided by postsecondary
degree-granting institutions that receive SSS grants. Activities and
services offered by SSS grantees include, but are not limited to,
instruction in basic skills, tutoring, academic advising, financial aid
and career counseling, transfer and graduate school counseling, and
mentoring. Some SSS grantee institutions also may provide special
services to eligible students with limited English proficiency.
Beginning in 2001--02, SSS grantees may use up to 20 percent of grantee
funds for grant aid to participants.

Each grantee is required to provide grantee information to the Federal
TRIO Programs through the annual performance report (APR), with content
stipulated by the program. The current report is based on the APRs
submitted by the SSS grantees for the 2002--03 and 2003--04 reporting
years, with select data from the reporting period 1998--99 through
2001--02. Reporting years 2002--03 and 2003--04 were the second and
third years of a four-year funding cycle that started in 2001--02. The
select data from previous years are used for presenting participant
cohorts that started before the 2002--03 reporting year.

This is the latest in a series of four reports describing the SSS
program. It differs from the previous reports in several ways:

-   This report presents for the first time the 2002--03 and 2003--04
    APR data.

-   The purpose of this report is to update key grantee and participant
    information.

-   Because of their disadvantaged background, SSS participants often
    need a longer time to complete a degree than their counterparts with
    dissimilar backgrounds. This report displays the completion rates
    for the 1998--99 freshman cohort participants who completed a
    bachelor's degree within six years of beginning college, that is,
    within five years after their freshman year.

-   This report also presents the degree completion rate by the length
    of time participants received services.

The rest of this report consists of two sections. Section I describes
select grantee and participant characteristics for reporting years
2002--03 and 2003--04. Section II presents information on program
outcomes and impact as measured by persistence and degree completion
rates for full-time freshmen and type of institution. Section II also
presents data on length of services received and degree completion.
After Section II, three appendices provide some supplemental or
supportive information. Appendix A presents the number of student
records contained in the 2002--03 and 2003--04 APR data. Appendix B
reports select characteristics of grantees and participants by state.
Appendix C provides counts corresponding to the percentages displayed in
the figures.

The APRs provide information on the education progress of participants
only for the period the students are enrolled at the grantee
institution. Academic progress of transferred students is not reported
in the APR. Thus, using only APR data underreports the achievement of
the SSS program. Because the majority of SSS participants are from
low-income families and, therefore, eligible to apply for financial aid,
the 1998--2004 federal student financial aid records were used to
supplement missing enrollment information. This use of financial aid
data has facilitated better tracking of participants over time. For
example, among participants at two-year colleges, the percentage of
2002--03 freshmen enrolled at the original institution in 2003--04 was
just over 70 percent; using the student financial aid records to
supplement APR data led to the determination that the percentage of
2002--03 participants enrolled in *any* postsecondary institution in
2003--04 was close to 81 percent (see table 3). However, the student
financial aid data could not provide reliable information on degree
completion. For this reason, the bachelor's degree completion rate of
participants who transferred from two-year to four-year institutions
remains underestimated.

In addition to the supplemental information from student financial aid
files, beginning in 2001--02, SSS grantees were asked to verify or
update enrollment and degree completion information on participants who,
according to their enrollment status at the end of the previous
reporting year, should have been enrolled in the current reporting year
but whose records were missing. The SSS program currently is exploring
additional options to improve the degree completion rates to more
accurately reflect the achievement of the grantees.

# Section I

Select Grantee and Active Participant Characteristics

This section presents select characteristics of SSS grantees and
participants for reporting years 2002--03 and 2003--04, with some
national data provided for comparison.

## Characteristics of Grantees for Select Reporting Years

The 2002--03 and 2003--04 reporting years were the second and third
years of a four-year funding cycle that began in 2001--02.

-   In reporting year 2002--03, the SSS program awarded \$262.7 million
    to 937 grantees to serve a targeted total of 198,551
    participants.[^2] In reporting year 2003--04, the SSS program
    awarded \$263.7 million to 936 grantees to serve a targeted total of
    195,288 college students (table 1).

-   Compared with reporting year 2002--03, the average grantee award and
    the average amount per participant in reporting year 2003--04
    increased slightly from \$280,375 to \$281,678 and from \$1,323 to
    \$1,350, respectively. The average number of participants funded to
    serve decreased slightly from 212 students in reporting year
    2002--03 to 209 students in reporting year 2003--04 (table 1).

-   Only three grantees in reporting year 2002--03 and only two grantees
    in reporting year 2003--04 did not submit APRs. Therefore, the
    response rates for these reporting years were nearly 100 percent
    (table 2).

-   The average number of students served per grantee was 222 in
    reporting year 2002--03 and 223 in reporting year 2003--04.[^3]
    Public four-year grantee institutions served, on average, more
    participants per grantee than other types of institutions (table 2).

-   In the 2003--04 reporting year, public two-year institutions served
    about 46 percent of the program participants, and public four-year
    institutions served about 40 percent of the participants. Private
    four-year institutions served about 14 percent of program
    participants, with private two‑year institutions comprising only 1
    percent (table 2).

-   In both the 2002--03 and 2003--04 reporting years, 48 percent of the
    grantees were public two‑year institutions and 36 percent were
    public four-year institutions (table 2). In comparison, 26 percent
    of all degree-granting institutions in the nation were public
    two-year institutions and 15 percent were public four-year
    institutions (fig. 1).

-   Although only 9 percent of all U.S. degree-granting institutions
    were minority‑serving institutions (MSIs),[^4] about 21 percent of
    the SSS grantees were MSIs in the 2003--04 reporting year (fig. 2):

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Among SSS grantees, 7 percent were Historically Black Colleges and
    Universities (HBCUs), compared with 3 percent of all degree-granting
    institutions (fig. 2);

-   Among SSS grantees, 11 percent were Hispanic-Serving Institutions
    (HSIs), compared with 6 percent of all degree-granting institutions
    (fig. 2); and

-   Although only about 3 percent of the SSS grantee institutions were
    Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), that number was three times
    larger than the percentage of TCUs represented in all
    degree-granting institutions (fig. 2).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648825 .anchor}Table 1. Student Support
Services program total funding, number of grantees, number of
participants funded to serve, average award, average amount per
participant funded to serve, and average number funded to serve by
reporting years: 2002--03 and 2003--04

  ----------- ------------- ---------- -------------- --------- ------------- --------------
  Reporting   Total         Number of  Number of      Average   Average       Average number
  year        funding\      grantees   participants   award\    amount per    of
              (\$)                     funded to      (\$)      participant   participants
                                       serve\*                  funded to     funded to
                                                                serve\        serve
                                                                (\$)          

  2002--03    262,711,302   937        198,551        280,375   1,323         212

  2003--04    263,650,147   936        195,288        281,678   1,350         209
  ----------- ------------- ---------- -------------- --------- ------------- --------------

SOURCE: Data from program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs.

\**Participants funded to serve* refers to the grantee's planned level
of service in terms of numbers of students, as agreed to by the Federal
TRIO Programs before the beginning of the funding year.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648826 .anchor}Table 2. Number and percentage
of Student Support Services grantees, number and percentage of SSS
grantees submitting annual performance reports, and number, percentage
distribution, and average number of participants served, by type of
institution and reporting years: 2002--03 and 2003--04

  ------------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- --------------
  Type of       Number of\ Percent\   Number of    Percent of  Number of      Percent of     Average number
  institution   grantees   of         grantees     grantees    participants   participants   of
                           grantees   that         that        served         served         participants
                                      submitted\   submitted                                 served
                                      APRs         APRs                                      

  2002--03                                                                                   

  Public        334        35.7       333          99.7        84,128         40.6           253
  four-year                                                                                  

  Private       141        15.1       140          99.3        27,939         13.5           200
  four-year                                                                                  

  Public        449        47.9       449          100.0       93,105         44.9           207
  two-year                                                                                   

  Private       13         1.4        12           92.3        2,251          1.1            188
  two-year                                                                                   

  All grantees  937        100.0      934          99.7        207,423        100.0          222

  2003--04                                                                                   

  Public        334        35.7       333          99.7        83,020         39.8           249
  four-year                                                                                  

  Private       141        15.1       141          100.0       28,454         13.7           202
  four-year                                                                                  

  Public        449        48.0       448          99.8        94,771         45.5           212
  two-year                                                                                   

  Private       12         1.3        12           100.0       2,137          1.0            178
  two-year                                                                                   

  All grantees  936        100.0      934          99.8        208,382        100.0          223
  ------------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- --------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports (APRs), 2002--03 and 2003--04.

*Note*: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648674 .anchor}Figure 1. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all
degree-granting institutions,\
by type of institution: 2003--04

![](media/image10.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs and the National Center for Education Statistics,
*Digest of Education Statistics*, Washington, D.C., 2004, Table
244---Degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution:
1949--50 to\
2003--04. This table can be found at:
<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/tables/dt04_244.asp>.

*Note*: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648675 .anchor}Figure 2. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all
degree-granting institutions, by minority-serving and
nonminority-serving status: 2003--04

![](media/image11.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2003--04, and from the U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System, *Digest of Education Statistics*, Washington, D.C., 2004.
Information on Historically Black Colleges and Universities can be found
at:
[http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite‑list.html](http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite%1Elist.html)
(data retrieved on April 26, 2006); Hispanic-Serving Institutions at:
<http://www.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/definition.html> (data retrieved on
April 26, 2006); and Tribal Colleges and Universities at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whtc/edlite‑tclist.html (data
retrieved on April 26, 2006).

## Characteristics of Participants Served in the 2003--04 Reporting Year

Students participating in the SSS grantees were identified in the APRs
as "new," "continuing," or "prior-year." A new participant is an
individual who is participating in the SSS program for the first time in
the current reporting period. A continuing participant is an individual
who participated in the SSS program in a previous reporting period and
is participating in the current reporting period. A "prior-year"
participant is an individual who had participated in the SSS program in
a previous reporting period but is not receiving any program services in
the current reporting period. This section presents data on the
demographic characteristics of the participants who received services in
the reporting year---participants who were reported either as new or as
continuing in the APRs.

Information regarding the participation status, eligibility status,
current year enrollment status, race/ethnicity and gender of
participants served in both the 2002--03 and the 2003--04 reporting
years were reviewed. Because the data differ only slightly between the
two reporting years, only data from the 2003--04 reporting year are
summarized in the following discussion.

-   *Participant status of new versus continuing*---In the 2003--04
    reporting year, 41 percent of the participants at two-year
    institutions and 38 percent of the participants at four-year
    institutions were new participants, receiving program services for
    the first time in 2003--04 (fig. 3).

-   *Participant eligibility*[^5]---Approximately 65 percent of the
    participants served by two‑year institutions and 62 percent served
    by four-year institutions were first‑generation college students
    from low-income families. Overall, approximately 77 percent of
    participants at two-year institutions and 74 percent at four-year
    institutions were low-income and first-generation, low‑income and
    disabled, or disabled only (fig. 4). These percentages exceeded the
    statutory and regulatory requirements, which state that at least
    two-thirds of SSS participants must be low‑income and
    first-generation, low-income and disabled, or disabled only.

-   *Current year enrollment status*---In 2003--04, about 53 percent of
    the participants served at two‑year institutions were full-time
    students. By comparison, about 78 percent of the participants at
    four-year institutions were full-time students. About one-quarter of
    the participants at two-year institutions and 13 percent of the
    participants at four-year institutions had enrollment status that
    varied between semesters or quarters (fig. 5).[^6]

-   *Race/ethnicity*---In 2003--04, the percentage distribution of
    participants by race/ethnicity varied across type of institution
    (fig. 6):

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Forty-seven percent (47 percent) of the participants served at
    two-year institutions were white compared with 37 percent at the
    four-year institutions.

-   Conversely, four-year institutions served more minority students,
    particularly Hispanic and African-American students, than did
    two-year institutions. About 20 percent of the students served at
    four-year institutions were Hispanic compared with 14 percent served
    at two-year institutions. About 32 percent of the students served at
    four-year institutions were African‑American, whereas 29 percent of
    the students served at two-year institutions were African-American.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   *Gender*---Overall, SSS grantees continue to serve more female than
    male students. At two-year institutions, about 72 percent of the
    participants were females, about two and a half times the percentage
    of males (28 percent). The male to female percentage difference was
    less at four-year institutions (64 percent vs. 36 percent; fig. 7).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648676 .anchor}Figure 3. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services participants, by participant
status and\
type of institution: 2003--04

![](media/image13.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

\*A *new participant* is an individual who participated in the SSS
program for the first time in the reporting period. A *continuing
participant* is\
an individual who received services in both the current reporting period
and in a previous reporting period.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648677 .anchor}Figure 4. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services participants, by eligibility
status and type of institution: 2003--04

![](media/image14.wmf){width="6.215972222222222in"
height="3.376388888888889in"}

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

\*To be eligible to participate in the SSS program, a student must be
enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a program of postsecondary
education that receives a SSS program grant and must be qualified in one
of the following five eligibility categories: low-income and
first-generation, low-income and disabled, disabled only, low‑income
only, or first-generation only. These terms are defined below:

-   *Low-income student---*a student whose family's taxable income does
    not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level in the calendar year
    preceding the year in which the individual initially received
    services. The poverty level amount is determined using criteria
    established by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of
    Commerce.

-   *First-generation college student---*a student from a family in
    which neither parent (whether natural or adoptive) received a
    baccalaureate degree or a student who, prior to the age of 18,
    regularly resided with and received support from only one natural or
    adoptive parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a
    baccalaureate degree.

-   *Student with disabilities---*a student who has a diagnosed physical
    or mental impairment that substantially limits his or her ability to
    participate in the educational experiences and opportunities offered
    by the grantee institution.

> []{#__RefHeading___Toc163648678 .anchor}Figure 5. Percentage
> distribution of Students Support Services participants, by current
> year\
> enrollment status and type of institution: 2003--04

![](media/image17.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports,\
2003--04.

\**Varied enrollment status* refers to instances in which the enrollment
status of a student varies from one semester or quarter to another
semester or quarter. For example, the enrollment status of a student who
enrolls half-time in the fall semester and three‑quarter time in the
spring semester would be classified as varied enrollment. Unknown
enrollment status refers to a missing or out-of-range response.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648679 .anchor}Figure 6. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services participants, by race/ethnicity
and type of\
institution: 2003--04

![](media/image18.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

\* *More than one race reported* is a single category listed in the
race/ethnicity field of the annual performance report.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648680 .anchor}Figure 7. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services participants, by gender and
type of institution:\
2003--04

![](media/image20.wmf)

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

# Section II

Program Outcome and Impact

As mentioned earlier, the goals and objectives of the SSS program are to
increase the postsecondary persistence and graduation rates of students
from disadvantaged backgrounds and to facilitate these students'
transition from one level of higher education to the next. The following
academic accomplishments have been identified as program outcome
measures for assessing the performance of the SSS grantees:

-   Percentage of a full-time freshman participant cohort enrolled one,
    two, and three years after the freshman year;

-   Cumulative percentage of a full-time freshman participant cohort at
    two-year institutions who transferred to four-year institutions one
    and two years after the freshman year;

-   Cumulative percentage of a full-time freshman participant cohort at
    two-year institutions who earned an associate degree one, two, and
    three years after the freshman year;

-   Cumulative percentage of a full-time freshman participant cohort at
    four-year institution who earned a bachelor's degree three, four,
    and five years after the freshman year.

A full-time freshman participant cohort refers to students who (1)
received SSS services for the first time in the reporting year ("new"
participants), (2) were in their first year of postsecondary education,
(3) had never attained a bachelor's degree, and (4) were enrolled
full-time in their freshman year. The last condition was imposed in
order to restrict the data to a reasonable number of years to observe
degree completion.

## Persistence

Table 3 shows the enrollment status one, two, and three years after the
freshman year for four full‑time freshman cohorts---1999--2000 through
2002--03---in both two-year and four-year institutions. Tables 4 and 5
show the persistence status of these same cohorts by eligibility status.
Table 4 focuses on full-time freshman participants at two-year
institutions, and table 5 focuses on full-time freshman participants at
four-year institutions.[^7]

-   At two-year institutions, over two-thirds of each of the four
    full-time freshman cohorts enrolled in a postsecondary institution
    in one year after the freshman year. Two years after the freshman
    year, the enrollment rate of these freshmen was over 50 percent.
    Three years after freshman year, the enrollment rate was about 40
    percent (table 3).

-   About 11 percent of the 2002--03 full-time freshmen enrolled in
    institutions in a nongrantee institution in the second year. Three
    years after the freshman year, this number had doubled, with
    slightly over 22 percent enrolled in a nongrantee institution (table
    3).[^8]

-   At two-year institutions, the enrollment rate for the category "in
    any institution" one, two, and three years after the freshman year
    increased with each successive cohort (table 3).

-   Table 3 indicates that at four-year institutions, for the category
    "in any institution," over 82 percent of each of the four full-time
    freshman cohort participants enrolled in the year following their
    freshman year (i.e., second year), and over two-thirds of them
    enrolled two years after and less than two-thirds enrolled three
    years after the freshman year. Unlike participants at two-year
    institutions, who can complete an associate degree in the second
    year, participants at four-year institutions do not usually attain a
    bachelor's degree within two years after the freshman year. Thus,
    the decrease in the enrollment rate two years after the freshman
    year at four-year institutions can mostly be attributed to
    participants who dropped out or transferred.

-   With two exceptions, the enrollment rate at four-year institutions
    for the category "in any institution" improved with each successive
    cohort (table 3). The first exception is the enrollment rate of the
    2002--03 cohort (86 percent) one year after the freshman year, which
    was lower than that of the two preceding cohorts. The second
    exception is the enrollment rate of the 2001--02 freshman cohort two
    years after the freshman year, which was slightly lower than that of
    the 2000--01 freshman cohort (73.0 percent and 73.2 percent,
    respectively).

-   Table 4 shows that at two-year institutions, changes in the
    percentage of full-time freshmen enrolled in a postsecondary
    institution over time as observed in table 3 occurred in all
    eligibility status groups.

-   Table 5 shows that changes in the percentage of full-time freshmen
    enrolled over time as observed in table 3 occurred in every
    eligibility group at four-year institutions.

-   Table 5 also shows that at four-year institutions, the enrollment
    rate of participants whose eligibility status was either low-income
    and first-generation or low-income and disabled was consistently
    higher than that of participants with other eligibility statuses.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648827 .anchor}Table 3. Number and percentage
of the 1999--2000 through 2002--03 full-time Student Support Services
freshman participants enrolled one, two, and three years after the
freshman year in the original, nongrantee, and any institution, by type
of institution

  -------------- ----------- --------------- ------------- ----------------- -------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
  Two‑year                                                                   Four‑year                                  
  institutions                                                               institutions                               

  Full-time      Number of   Percent         Percent       Percent enrolled  Number of      Percent       Percent       Percent
  freshman       full-time   enrolled in     enrolled in   in any            full-time      enrolled in   enrolled in   enrolled in
  cohort year    freshmen    original        nongrantee    institution\*\*   freshmen       original      nongrantee    any
                             institution\*   institution                                    institution   institution   institution

  One year after                                                                                                        
  the freshman                                                                                                          
  year                                                                                                                  

  1999--2000     14,422      57.6            15.6          73.2              17,301         68.9          14.0          82.9

  2000--01       13,521      64.6            13.4          78.0              17,827         74.6          11.4          85.9

  2001--02       17,797      67.6            13.2          80.8              18,876         75.1          11.6          86.6

  2002--03       14,859      70.2            10.7          80.9              18,552         75.7          10.0          85.7

  Two years                                                                                                             
  after the                                                                                                             
  freshman year                                                                                                         

  1999--2000     14,422      34.2            18.7          52.9              17,301         52.8          16.1          68.9

  2000--01       13,521      35.1            21.9          57.0              17,827         57.8          15.4          73.2

  2001--02       17,797      41.4            18.5          59.9              18,876         57.6          15.3          73.0

  Three years                                                                                                           
  after the                                                                                                             
  freshman year                                                                                                         

  1999--2000     14,422      17.8            21.0          38.7              17,301         43.8          16.5          60.3

  2000--01       13,521      18.2            22.3          40.5              17,827         48.7          15.2          63.9
  -------------- ----------- --------------- ------------- ----------------- -------------- ------------- ------------- -------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 1999--2000, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and 2003--04, and
from program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education, 1999--2004.

*Note*: This table reports the percentage of freshmen who were enrolled
in the reporting year, not the percentage of freshmen who were
continuously enrolled from year to year.

\*An *original institution* is a grantee institution.

\*\**Percent enrolled in any institution* is the sum of the percentage
enrolled in the original institution and the percentage enrolled in a
nongrantee institution.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648828 .anchor}Table 4. Number and percentage
of Student Support Services 1999--2003 full-time freshman cohort\
participants at two-year institutions enrolled in any institution one
and two years after the freshman\
year, by eligibility status

  ------------------ ------------ --------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------
  Eligibility status Cohort year                                                                 

                     1999--2000             2000--01             2001--02             2002--03   

                     Number       Percent   Number     Percent   Number     Percent   Number     Percent

  One year after the                                                                             
  freshman year                                                                                  

  Low-income and     8,983        74.0      8,529      78.2      11,724     81.2      9,705      80.9
  first‑generation                                                                               

  Low-income and     998          71.7      854        79.5      1,174      80.5      973        80.9
  disabled                                                                                       

  Disabled only      695          75.7      683        81.4      958        82.4      839        80.5

  Low-income only    2,720        70.9      2,612      76.3      2,947      79.5      2,516      81.4

  First-generation   1,014        71.7      827        77.9      963        79.6      810        79.6
  only                                                                                           

  Total              14,410       73.2      13,505     78.0      17,766     80.8      14,843     80.9

  Two years after                                                                                
  the freshman year                                                                              

  Low-income and     8,983        54.1      8,529      57.9      11,724     59.9      ---\*      ---
  first‑generation                                                                               

  Low-income and     998          52.6      854        58.9      1,174      63.9      ---        ---
  disabled                                                                                       

  Disabled only      695          56.1      683        61.1      958        58.2      ---        ---

  Low-income only    2,720        48.9      2,612      53.2      2,947      59.2      ---        ---

  First-generation   1,014        51.4      827        54.3      963        60.2      ---        ---
  only                                                                                           

  Total              14,410       52.9      13,505     57.0      17,766     60.0      ---        ---
  ------------------ ------------ --------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 1999--2000, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and 2003--04, and
from program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education,\
1999--2004.

*Note:* This table shows the percentage of freshmen who were enrolled in
the reporting year, not the percentage of freshmen who were continuously
enrolled from year to year. *Any institution* refers to both grantee and
nongrantee institutions.

\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648829 .anchor}Table 5. Number and percentage
of Student Support Services 1999--2003 full-time freshman cohort
participants at four-year institutions enrolled in any institution one,
two, and three years after the freshman year, by eligibility status

+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Eligibility   | Co   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| status        | hort |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
|               | year |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|               | 19   |     | 20  |     | 20  |     | 20  |     |
|               | 99-- |     | 00- |     | 01- |     | 02- |     |
|               | 2000 |     | -01 |     | -02 |     | -03 |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|               | Nu   | P   | Num | P   | Num | P   | Num | P   |
|               | mber | erc | ber | erc | ber | erc | ber | erc |
|               |      | ent |     | ent |     | ent |     | ent |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| One year      |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| after the     |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| freshman year |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | > 10 | 8   | 10, | 8   | 11, | 8   | 11, | 8   |
| and           | ,687 | 5.0 | 816 | 7.5 | 665 | 8.0 | 878 | 7.2 |
| fir           |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| st‑generation |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | > 1  | 8   | 1,  | 8   | 1,  | 8   | 1,  | 8   |
| and disabled  | ,544 | 4.6 | 662 | 8.9 | 720 | 7.6 | 675 | 5.9 |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Disabled only | >    | 8   | 504 | 8   | 577 | 8   | 571 | 8   |
|               |  522 | 1.8 |     | 4.1 |     | 4.2 |     | 2.3 |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | > 3  | 7   | 3,  | 8   | 3,  | 8   | 3,  | 8   |
| only          | ,478 | 7.9 | 698 | 1.4 | 865 | 3.7 | 438 | 2.8 |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Fir           | > 1  | 7   | 1,  | 8   | 1,  | 8   | 945 | 8   |
| st-generation | ,041 | 7.1 | 102 | 2.0 | 004 | 2.6 |     | 0.1 |
| only          |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Total         | > 17 | 8   | 17, | 8   | 18, | 8   | 18, | 8   |
|               | ,272 | 3.0 | 782 | 6.0 | 831 | 6.6 | 507 | 5.8 |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Two years     |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| after the     |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| freshman year |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 10   | 7   | 10, | 7   | 11, | 7   | --- | --- |
| and           | ,687 | 1.2 | 816 | 5.3 | 665 | 4.4 | \*  |     |
| fir           |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| st‑generation |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 1    | 6   | 1,  | 7   | 1,  | 7   | --- | --- |
| and disabled  | ,544 | 9.8 | 662 | 7.0 | 720 | 5.6 |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Disabled only | 522  | 6   | 504 | 7   | 577 | 6   | --- | --- |
|               |      | 7.4 |     | 1.6 |     | 8.6 |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 3    | 6   | 3,  | 6   | 3,  | 6   | --- | --- |
| only          | ,478 | 3.5 | 698 | 8.2 | 865 | 9.5 |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Fir           | 1    | 6   | 1,  | 6   | 1,  | 6   | --- | --- |
| st-generation | ,041 | 4.1 | 102 | 6.0 | 004 | 7.8 |     |     |
| only          |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Total         | 17   | 6   | 17, | 7   | 18, | 7   | --- | --- |
|               | ,272 | 9.0 | 782 | 3.3 | 831 | 3.0 |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Three years   |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| after the     |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| freshman year |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 10   | 6   | 10, | 6   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| and           | ,687 | 2.7 | 816 | 6.1 |     |     |     |     |
| fir           |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
| st‑generation |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 1    | 6   | 1,  | 6   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| and disabled  | ,544 | 3.9 | 662 | 8.3 |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Disabled only | 522  | 5   | 504 | 5   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|               |      | 3.6 |     | 9.5 |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Low-income    | 3    | 5   | 3,  | 5   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| only          | ,478 | 4.0 | 698 | 8.1 |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Fir           | 1    | 5   | 1,  | 5   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| st-generation | ,041 | 6.1 | 102 | 7.9 |     |     |     |     |
| only          |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Total         | 17   | 6   | 17, | 6   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|               | ,272 | 0.4 | 782 | 4.0 |     |     |     |     |
+---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 1999--2000, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and 2003--04, and
from program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Postsecondary Education, 1999--2004.

*Note:* This table shows the percentage of freshmen who were enrolled in
the reporting year, not the percentage of freshmen who were continuously
enrolled from year to year. *Any institution* refers to both grantee and
nongrantee institutions.

\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

## Transfer From Two-year to Four-year Institutions

The goal of the SSS program is to increase the college persistence and
graduation rates of its participants and help students make the
transition from one level of higher education to the next. Beginning in
the 2001--02 reporting year, grantees began reporting the type of
institutions to which a participant transferred.

About 9 percent of the participants who were full-time freshmen in
2001--02 transferred to four-year institutions one year after the
freshman year. Approximately 5 percent of these freshmen transferred
before they attained an associate degree, and the remainder had already
received an associate degree. Two years after the freshman year, over 14
percent of the 2001--02 cohort had transferred to a four-year
institution, with about half of those who transferred having received an
associate degree (table 6).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648830 .anchor}Table 6. Number and cumulative
percentage of Student Support Services 2001--02 and 2002--03 full-time\
freshman cohort participants who transferred from two-year to four-year
institutions one and two\
years after the freshman year, by degree status

+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| Cohort year | Number        | Cumulative  | Cumulative  | Cumulative |
|             |               | percent     | percent     | percent    |
|             |               | transferred | transferred | t          |
|             |               | without     | with        | ransferred |
|             |               | associate   | associate   | (total)    |
|             |               | degree      | degree      |            |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| One year    |               |             |             |            |
| after the   |               |             |             |            |
| freshman    |               |             |             |            |
| year        |               |             |             |            |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| 2001--02    | > 17,797      | > 5.4       | > 3.2       | > 8.6      |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| 2002--03    | > 14,859      | > 5.2       | > 3.0       | > 8.2      |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| Two years   |               |             |             |            |
| after the   |               |             |             |            |
| freshman    |               |             |             |            |
| year        |               |             |             |            |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| 2001--02    | > 17,797      | > 6.9       | > 7.3       | > 14.2     |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
| 2002--03    | > 14,859      | > --- \*    | > ---       | > ---      |
+-------------+---------------+-------------+-------------+------------+

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2001--02, 2002--03, and 2003--04.

*Note*: Beginning with the 2001--02 reporting year, grantees reported
the type of institutions to which participants transferred. The
percentages are cumulative so that at each year after the freshman year,
the percentage represents those who transferred in that *and* the
preceding year. For example, two years after the freshman year, a total
of 6.9 percent of the 2001--02 freshmen had transferred to another
institution one year or two years after their freshman year. That is,
5.4 percent transferred after one year and an additional 1.5 percent
transferred after their second year, for a cumulative percentage of 6.9
percent.

\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

## Degree Completion

This subsection displays degree completion rates for full-time freshmen
who graduated from the same institution. As noted earlier, grantees
report the academic progress of a program participant only as long as
the individual remains enrolled in that grantee institution, which means
that a degree obtained by the same individual in another institution is
not reported in the APR. The overall achievement of the SSS program in
assisting participants to complete their studies is therefore
underestimated.[^9]

### Associate Degree

Table 7 shows the associate degrees attained by all participants at
two-year institutions for three full‑time freshman cohorts (2000--01,
2001--02, and 2002--03) by eligibility status in one, two, and three
years after the freshman year. When all participants in the cohort were
considered as a group, approximately 9 percent of the 2000--01 full-time
freshman cohort participants obtained their associate degree from the
grantee institution one year after the freshman year. The cumulative
percentage increased to 18 percent two years after the freshman year and
to 23 percent three years after the freshman year.

Two observations are evident when associate degree attainment is
analyzed separately by eligibility status (table 7):

-   Variation in the percentage of associate degree completion rate
    among the different eligibility groups narrows with the number of
    years allowed for graduation. In the 2000--01 full-time freshman
    cohort, one year after the freshman year, the associate degree
    completion rate among the different eligibility groups ranged from 6
    to 11 percent. Three years after the freshman year, the range was
    between 22 and 25 percent.

-   Two and three years after the freshman year, 2000--01 full-time
    freshman who were low-income only earned an associate degree at a
    relatively higher rate than freshmen of other eligibility statuses.

### Bachelor's Degree

Table 8 shows bachelor's degree attainment for three cohorts of
full-time freshman participants at four-year institutions by eligibility
status three, four, and five years after the freshman year. For the\
1998--99 cohort, approximately 11 percent had obtained a bachelor's
degree from the grantee institution three years after the freshman year,
22 percent four years after the freshman year, and 28 percent five years
after the freshman year.

The percentage of the 1998--99 full-time freshman cohort participants at
four-year institutions earning a bachelor's degree three, four, and five
years after the freshman year differed only slightly by eligibility
status. Three years after the freshman year, the bachelor's degree
completion rate across the eligibility groups ranged from 10 to 13
percent. Five years after the freshman year, the range was from 27 to
32 percent. A relatively larger percentage of the 1998--99 full-time
freshmen who were first-generation college students earned a bachelor's
degree than freshmen of other eligibility statuses four and five years
after the freshman year (table 8).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648831 .anchor}Table 7. Number and cumulative
percentage of Student Support Services 2000--03 full-time freshman
cohort participants at two-year institutions who completed an associate
degree one, two, and three years after the freshman year, by eligibility
status

  --------------------- ---------- ------------- ---------- ------------ ----------- -------------
                        Cohort                                                       
                        year                                                         

                        2000--01                 2001--02                2002--03    

  Eligibility status    Number     Cumulative    Number     Cumulative   Number      Cumulative
                                   percent^\*^              percent\*                percent^\*^

  One year after the                                                                 
  freshman year                                                                      

  Low-income and        8,529      8.8           11,724     7.5          9,705       7.3
  first-generation                                                                   

  Low-income and        854        10.9          1,174      8.6          973         9.7
  disabled                                                                           

  Disabled only         683        6.7           958        6.3          839         4.2

  Low-income only       2,612      10.6          2,947      10.7         2,516       9.7

  First-generation only 827        6.0           963        5.2          810         6.0

  Total                 13,505     9.0           17,766     7.9          14,843      7.6

  Two years after the                                                                
  freshman year                                                                      

  Low-income and        8,529      17.7          11,724     17.8         ---^\*\*^   ---
  first-generation                                                                   

  Low-income and        854        17.7          1,174      19.5         ---         ---
  disabled                                                                           

  Disabled only         683        17.3          958        16.7         ---         ---

  Low-income only       2,612      20.5          2,947      22.6         ---         ---

  First-generation only 827        16.6          963        18.6         ---         ---

  Total                 13,505     18.1          17,766     18.7         ---         ---

  Three years after the                                                              
  freshman year                                                                      

  Low-income and        8,529      22.0          ---        ---          ---         ---
  first-generation                                                                   

  Low-income and        854        22.2          ---        ---          ---         ---
  disabled                                                                           

  Disabled only         683        23.4          ---        ---          ---         ---

  Low-income only       2,612      25.3          ---        ---          ---         ---

  First-generation only 827        22.7          ---        ---          ---         ---

  Total                 13,505     22.8          ---        ---          ---         ---
  --------------------- ---------- ------------- ---------- ------------ ----------- -------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and 2003--04.

\*The percentages are based on degree completed in the grantee
institution in which participants first enrolled. The percentages are
cumulative so that at each year after the freshman year, the percentage
represents those who completed an associate degree in that *and* all
preceding years. For example, three years after the freshman year, a
total of 22.7 percent of the 2000--01 first-generation only freshmen had
received an associate degree one year, two years, or three years after
the freshman year.

\*\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648832 .anchor}Table 8. Number and cumulative
percentage of Student Support Services 1999--2001 full-time freshman
cohort participants at four-year institutions who completed a bachelor's
degree three, four, and five years after the freshman year, by
eligibility status

  ------------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------
  Eligibility status Cohort                                                       
                     year                                                         

                     1998--99                1999--2000                2000--01   

                     Number     Cumulative   Number       Cumulative   Number     Cumulative
                                percent\*                 percent\*               percent\*

  Three years after                                                               
  the freshman year                                                               

  Low-income and     10,294     10.1         10,687       9.8          10,816     11.6
  first-generation                                                                

  Low-income and     1,724      13.1         1,544        11.3         1,662      11.4
  disabled                                                                        

  Disabled only      504        10.7         522          8.6          504        11.7

  Low-income only    3,895      11.5         3,478        12.1         3,698      12.6

  First-generation   998        11.3         1,041        11.1         1,102      13.4
  only                                                                            

  Total              17,415     10.8         17,272       10.5         17,782     11.9

  Four years after                                                                
  the freshman year                                                               

  Low-income and     10,294     21.4         10,687       22.0         ---\*\*    ---
  first-generation                                                                

  Low-income and     1,724      23.1         1,544        23.8         ---        ---
  disabled                                                                        

  Disabled only      504        21.6         522          19.0         ---        ---

  Low-income only    3,895      23.3         3,478        24.6         ---        ---

  First-generation   998        25.4         1,041        29.5         ---        ---
  only                                                                            

  Total              17,415     22.2         17,272       23.0         ---        ---

  Five years after                                                                
  the freshman year                                                               

  Low-income and     10,294     27.4         ---          ---          ---        ---
  first-generation                                                                

  Low-income and     1,724      28.7         ---          ---          ---        ---
  disabled                                                                        

  Disabled only      504        27.2         ---          ---          ---        ---

  Low-income only    3,895      28.4         ---          ---          ---        ---

  First-generation   998        32.0         ---          ---          ---        ---
  only                                                                            

  Total              17,415     28.0         ---          ---          ---        ---
  ------------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 1998--99, 1999--2000, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and
2003--04.

\*The percentages are based on degree completed in the grantee
institution in which participants first enrolled. The percentages are
cumulative so that at each year after the freshman year, the percentage
represents those who completed a bachelor's degree in that *and* all
preceding years. For example, five years after the freshman year, a
total of 32 percent of the 2000--01 first-generation only freshmen had
received a bachelor's degree three years, four years, or five years
after the freshman year.

\*\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

## Length of Services Received and Degree Completion

This section provides a first look at degree completion and the lengths
of services received. Students in each of the three full-time freshman
cohorts at two-year institutions (2000--01, 2001--02, and 2002--03) who
were continuously enrolled for two consecutive years were grouped on the
basis of length of program services received---cohort members who
received program services in their first year only and cohort members
who received services in both their first and one year after the
freshman year.[^10] Students in each of the three full-time freshman
cohorts at the four-year institutions (1998--99, 1999--2000, and
2000--01) who were continuously enrolled for four years were grouped
into the following categories according to the total number of years
they had received services three years after the freshman year: (a)
received services in their first year (freshman year) only, (b) received
services in the first year and one additional year through the end of
the rest three years, (c) received services in the first year and any
two of the remaining years, or (d) received services in all four years
(freshman through senior).

Among all three cohorts enrolled in two-year institutions, even among
full-time freshmen who were continuously enrolled in their first two
years in college, those who received two years of services had a higher
associate degree completion rate one, two and three years after the
freshman year than those participants who received services for only one
year. Further, the gap increased with the time allowed for graduation.
For example, for the 2000--01 cohort, 9 percent of those who received
services in their first year only received an associate degree one year
after the freshman year compared with 12 percent of those who received
services in their first two years. Three years after the freshman year,
the comparable percentages were 15 percent and 34 percent (table 9).

The impact of length of services on degree completion was similar for
four-year institutions. Three years after the freshman year, 23 to 24
percent of the full-time freshmen who had been continuously enrolled for
four years and received four years of services attained a bachelor's
degree. In comparison, 11 to 15 percent of similar participants who
received only one year of services attained a bachelor's degree. The gap
increased with the length of time allowed for graduation---for the
1998--99 cohort, the gap increased to a difference of about 20
percentage points four years after the freshman year and 30 percentage
points five years after the freshman year (table 10).

Although participants who receive more services have higher completion
rates, other institutional and individual characteristics could be
influencing both the length of services received and the likelihood of
completing a degree within a certain period of time. A more thorough
understanding of the relationship between length of services received
and degree completion requires controlling the impact of these other
factors, which is beyond the scope of this report.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648833 .anchor}Table 9. Number and cumulative
percentage of Student Support Services 2000--03 full-time freshman
cohort participants at two-year institutions who were continuously
enrolled for at least the first two years and completed an associate
degree one, two, and three years after the freshman year, by length of
program services received

  ---------- -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------
  Years of   Cohort year                                                            
  services                                                                          
  received                                                                          

             2000--01                    2001--02                    2002--03       

             Number of      Cumulative   Number of      Cumulative   Number of      Cumulative
             participants   percent\*    participants   percent\*    participants   percent\*

  One year                                                                          
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,944          8.8          4,026          9.1          2,877          6.8
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  7,699          12.4         10,448         9.9          9,190          10.2

  Total      10,643         11.4         14,474         9.7          12,067         9.4

  Two years                                                                         
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,944          12.3         4,026          14.3         ---\*\*\*      ---
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  7,699          27.1         10,448         26.2         ---            ---

  Total      10,643         23.0         14,474         28.9         ---            ---

  Three                                                                             
  years                                                                             
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,944          14.5         ---            ---          ---            ---
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  7,699          34.2         ---            ---          ---            ---

  Total      10,643         28.7         ---            ---          ---            ---
  ---------- -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03 and 2003--04.

^\*^The percentages are based on degree completed in the grantee
institution in which participants first enrolled. The percentages are
cumulative so that at each year after the freshman year, the percentage
represents those who completed an associate degree in that *and* all
preceding years. For example, three years after the freshman year, a
total of 14.5 percent of the 2000--01 freshmen who had received only one
year of SSS services in their academic career had completed an associate
degree one year, two years, or three years after the freshman year.

\*\**One year* refers to participants who received services only in
their freshman year. *Two years* refers to participants who received
services in the first two consecutive years.

\*\*\*A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648834 .anchor}Table 10. Number and cumulative
percentage of Student Support Services 1998--2001 full-time freshman
cohort participants at four-year institutions who were continuously
enrolled for at least the first four years and completed a bachelor's
degree three, four, and five years after the freshman year, by length of
program services received

  ---------- -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------
  Cohort                                                                            
  year                                                                              

             1998--99                    1999--2000                  2000--01       

  Years of   Number of      Cumulative   Number of      Cumulative   Number of      Cumulative
  services   participants   percent\*    participants   percent\*    participants   percent\*
  received                                                                          

  Three                                                                             
  years                                                                             
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,329          15.1         2,524          11.3         2,779          13.1
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  1,539          17.3         1,758          16.6         2,202          21.3

  Three      1,379          18.4         1,566          16.7         1,420          16.8
  years                                                                             

  Four years 4,354          23.1         4,153          23.3         4,408          23.8

  Total      9,601          19.6         10,001         18.1         10,809         19.6

  Four years                                                                        
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,329          28.3         2,524          26.7         ---\*\*\*      ---
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  1,539          34.2         1,758          32.2         ---            ---

  Three      1,379          35.5         1,566          33.8         ---            ---
  years                                                                             

  Four years 4,354          48.6         4,153          52.2         ---            ---

  Total      9,601          39.5         10,001         39.4         ---            ---

  Five years                                                                        
  after the                                                                         
  freshman                                                                          
  year                                                                              

  One        2,329          33.3         ---            ---          ---            ---
  year\*\*                                                                          

  Two years  1,539          40.5         ---            ---          ---            ---

  Three      1,379          44.3         ---            ---          ---            ---
  years                                                                             

  Four years 4,354          62.8         ---            ---          ---            ---

  Total      9,601          49.4         ---            ---          ---            ---
  ---------- -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 1998--99, 1999--2000, 2000--01, 2001--02, 2002--03, and
2003--04.

\*The percentages are based on degree completed in the grantee
institution in which participants first enrolled. The percentages are
cumulative so that at each year after the freshman year, the percentage
represents those who completed a bachelor's degree in that *and* all
preceding years. For example, five years after the freshman year, a
total of 33.3 percent of the 1998--99 freshmen who had received only one
year of SSS services in their academic career had completed a bachelor's
degree in three years, four years, or five years after the freshman
year.

\*\**One year* refers to participants who received services only in
their freshman year. *Two years* and *three years* refer to participants
who received services in their freshman year and one or two additional
years of services during the first four years. *Four years* refers to
participants who received services in each of the four consecutive
years.

*\*\*\**A *dash* (---) indicates data not available.

# Appendix A

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648401 .anchor}Number of Grantee Institutions\
and Student Records, Select Years

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648835 .anchor}Table A--1. Number of Student
Support Services grantees and number of student records reported in the
2002--03 and 2003--04 APRs

  ------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------
                                              Reporting year 

                                              2002--03       2003--04

  Number of grantee institutions              937            936

  Number of student records reported in the   337,237        345,311
  APRs                                                       
  ------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2002--03 and 2003--04.

# Appendix B

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648403 .anchor}State Tables on Funding\
and Select Participant Characteristics

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648836 .anchor}Table B--1. Number of Student
Support Services grantees, funding amount, funding rank, number of
participants funded to serve, number served, rank of number served, and
amount per participant, by state: 2003--04

  --------------- ---------- ------------ --------- -------------- -------------- ---------- -------------
  State           Number of  Funding      Funding   Number of      Participants   Rank of    Amount per
                  grantees   amount\      rank\*    participants   served         number     participant
                             (\$)                   funded to                     served\*   funded to
                                                    serve\*\*                                serve (\$)

  Alabama         40         11,593,319   4         7,696          8,091          5          1,506

  Alaska          1          209,814      57        160            161            55         1,311

  American Samoa  1          260,181      53        150            325            52         1,735

  Arizona         11         2,665,556    39        2,472          2,641          35         1,078

  Arkansas        25         7,012,886    9         5,229          5,664          8          1,341

  California      70         19,593,593   1         15,550         16,438         1          1,260

  Colorado        15         4,023,624    30        2,891          3,146          29         1,392

  Connecticut     4          1,077,487    47        965            1,034          44         1,117

  Delaware        3          797,628      50        640            651            48         1,246

  District of     2          834,181      49        625            622            50         1,335
  Columbia                                                                                   

  Fed. States of  1          228,825      55        160            160            56         1,430
  Micronesia                                                                                 

  Florida         23         6,010,042    16        4,175          4,530          17         1,440

  Georgia         15         3,893,873    32        2,525          2,769          34         1,542

  Guam            2          530,371      52        190            224            54         2,791

  Hawaii          6          1,801,843    43        1,336          1,415          42         1,349

  Idaho           5          1,412,240    44        915            1,023          45         1,543

  Illinois        42         11,258,085   5         8,326          8,637          4          1,352

  Indiana         13         3,691,635    34        3,425          3,653          25         1,078

  Iowa            22         5,844,776    19        4,355          4,480          18         1,342

  Kansas          18         4,826,739    23        3,645          3,771          24         1,324

  Kentucky        18         4,810,337    24        3,353          3,439          27         1,435

  Louisiana       13         4,793,414    25        3,925          4,148          21         1,221

  Maine           9          2,755,715    37        1,930          1,962          38         1,428

  Maryland        14         4,074,800    29        3,022          3,126          30         1,348

  Massachusetts   21         6,324,232    14        4,580          4,935          11         1,381

  Michigan        22         6,775,751    11        4,735          4,924          12         1,431

  Minnesota       24         7,651,720    7         5,272          5,388          10         1,451
  --------------- ---------- ------------ --------- -------------- -------------- ---------- -------------

Table continued on next page

Table B--1. Number of Student Support Services grantees, funding amount,
funding rank, number of participants funded to serve, number served,
rank number served, and amount per participant, by state: 2003--04
(continued)

  -------------- ---------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ---------- --------------
  State          Number of  Funding       Funding\    Participants   Participants   Rank of\   Amount per
                 grantees   amount\       rank\*      funded to      served         number\    participant\
                            (\$)                      serve\*\*                     served\*   funded to
                                                                                               serve\
                                                                                               (\$)

  Mississippi    13         3,313,014     35          2,186          2,572          36         1,516

  Missouri       20         5,517,273     20          4,165          4,450          20         1,325

  Montana        15         4,350,523     26          3,078          3,421          28         1,413

  Nebraska       13         3,715,559     33          2,875          3,454          26         1,292

  Nevada         3          853,743       48          600            624            49         1,423

  New Hampshire  4          1,084,836     46          715            715            47         1,517

  New Jersey     17         4,827,593     22          3,594          4,027          22         1,343

  New Mexico     14         3,897,904     31          2,715          2,853          33         1,436

  New York       46         13,184,418    3           10,995         11,783         3          1,199

  North Carolina 34         8,772,806     6           5,882          6,748          7          1,491

  North Dakota   9          2,702,888     38          1,645          1,697          40         1,643

  Northern       1          228,825       55          160            91             57         1,430
  Mariana                                                                                      
  Islands                                                                                      

  Ohio           21         6,104,251     15          4,522          4,638          14         1,350

  Oklahoma       20         5,874,452     18          4,063          4,453          19         1,446

  Oregon         16         4,220,326     27          2,805          2,999          32         1,505

  Palau          1          237,607       54          175            242            53         1,358

  Pennsylvania   25         6,516,522     13          4,575          4,764          13         1,424

  Puerto Rico    22         7,325,283     8           6,709          7,124          6          1,092

  Rhode Island   2          648,789       51          600            571            51         1,081

  South Carolina 25         6,517,594     12          4,225          4,580          16         1,543

  South Dakota   9          2,456,110     40          1,510          1,576          41         1,627

  Tennessee      16         4,150,805     28          2,835          3,090          31         1,464

  Texas          59         16,035,459    2           13,110         14,012         2          1,223

  Utah           10         2,913,738     36          1,926          2,256          37         1,513

  Vermont        7          2,017,195     42          1,474          1,277          43         1,369

  Virginia       18         4,903,895     21          3,800          3,916          23         1,291

  Washington     20         6,007,932     17          4,145          4,590          15         1,449

  West Virginia  9          2,430,251     41          1,836          1,947          39         1,324

  Wisconsin      23         6,901,993     10          5,161          5,602          9          1,337

  Wyoming        4          1,185,896     45          960            968            46         1,235

  Total          936        263,650,147   ---\*\*\*   195,288        208,397        ---        ---
  -------------- ---------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -------------- ---------- --------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2003--04.

\**Rank* is in descending order*.*

\*\**Participants funded to serve* refers to the grantee's planned level
of service in terms of numbers of students, as agreed to by the federal
TRIO office before the beginning of the funding year.

\*\*\*A *dash* *(---)* indicates data not applicable.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648837 .anchor}Table B--2. Percentage
distribution of Student Support Services participants, based on
race/ethnicity, gender, and eligibility status by state: 2003--04

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  State           Race/ethnicity                                                           Gender            Eligibility status 
  --------------- ---------------- ------- ---------- ---------- ------- ---------- ------ -------- -------- ------------------ --------
                  American Indian  Asian   Black/     Hispanic   White   Native     More   Male     Female   Low-income/        All
                  or Alaska native         African-   or Latino          Hawaiian   than                     first-generation   other
                                           American                      or other   one                                         groups
                                                                         Pacific    race                                        
                                                                         Islander                                               

  Alabama         0.6              0.4     63.7       1.2        33.8    0.1        0.3    27.8     72.2     69.5               30.5

  Alaska          19.5             2.7     6.0        8.1        57.0    0.0        6.7    29.2     70.8     51.6               48.4

  American Samoa  0.0              1.5     0.0        0.0        0.0     98.5       0.0    48.0     52.0     60.0               40.0

  Arizona         16.2             2.8     9.1        34.3       35.7    0.6        1.3    32.1     67.9     55.1               44.9

  Arkansas        1.2              0.8     43.6       1.7        51.9    0.1        0.6    27.1     72.9     64.1               35.9

  California      1.6              15.6    15.5       42.0       21.5    1.5        2.3    31.9     68.1     67.1               32.9

  Colorado        5.4              4.5     11.4       33.1       41.8    0.1        3.7    34.8     65.2     63.0               37.0

  Connecticut     0.6              7.5     41.4       29.8       18.1    1.1        1.6    34.3     65.7     74.7               25.3

  Delaware        0.5              4.0     39.5       6.0        48.7    0.3        1.1    24.6     75.4     58.0               42.0

  District of     1.3              1.9     93.0       2.4        1.3     0.0        0.0    29.0     71.0     70.2               29.8
  Columbia                                                                                                                      

  Fed. States of  0.0              0.0     0.0        0.0        0.0     100.0      0.0    55.0     45.0     81.9               18.1
  Micronesia                                                                                                                    

  Florida         0.6              2.2     57.4       10.6       27.6    0.4        1.2    26.1     73.9     69.3               30.7

  Georgia         0.5              1.5     78.8       1.4        17.0    0.1        0.7    29.4     70.6     67.6               32.4

  Guam            0.0              13.1    1.4        1.8        1.4     82.4       0.0    28.4     71.6     72.3               27.7

  Hawaii          1.1              27.3    2.8        4.9        18.4    33.9       11.7   29.1     70.9     60.3               39.7

  Idaho           5.2              1.7     0.9        18.0       73.2    0.3        0.8    36.9     63.1     63.9               36.1

  Illinois        0.5              2.0     40.9       13.4       41.9    0.1        1.1    25.5     74.5     65.9               34.1

  Indiana         0.5              1.2     32.4       6.5        57.9    0.1        1.4    36.6     63.4     55.2               44.8

  Iowa            1.2              4.3     14.0       6.3        72.9    0.2        1.1    32.6     67.4     61.3               38.7

  Kansas          5.6              2.9     23.1       8.6        57.3    0.4        2.1    37.4     62.6     62.9               37.1

  Kentucky        0.7              0.6     20.4       1.3        76.1    0.2        0.6    27.2     72.8     65.4               34.6

  Louisiana       0.7              1.2     69.3       1.5        27.0    0.0        0.3    27.5     72.5     68.5               31.5

  Maine           3.3              0.8     2.7        0.7        91.6    0.2        0.7    34.2     65.8     49.5               50.5

  Maryland        0.5              3.9     63.6       4.5        25.2    1.1        1.3    31.6     68.4     59.4               40.6

  Massachusetts   0.8              9.8     21.8       18.5       45.9    1.4        1.7    36.8     63.2     59.6               40.4

  Michigan        3.1              1.8     37.4       6.4        49.8    0.2        1.2    31.2     68.8     65.1               34.9

  Minnesota       5.2              7.2     21.2       3.3        60.5    0.3        2.2    37.3     62.7     56.8               43.2

  Mississippi     0.1              0.4     78.2       0.4        20.5    0.1        0.3    34.0     66.0     64.6               35.4

  Missouri        1.0              2.2     33.9       3.2        57.4    0.5        1.8    31.4     68.6     58.4               41.6

  Montana         39.1             0.8     1.7        2.2        54.6    0.7        1.0    37.5     62.5     58.2               41.8

  Nebraska        7.3              4.1     23.1       5.8        58.0    0.3        1.3    32.2     67.8     71.6               28.4

  Nevada          2.9              8.3     25.0       28.7       28.7    3.1        3.2    31.1     68.9     72.8               27.2

  New Hampshire   1.0              2.8     4.4        2.9        88.3    0.0        0.6    30.4     69.6     44.2               55.8
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table continued on next page

Table B--2. Percentage distribution of Student Support Services
participants, based on race/ethnicity, gender, and eligibility status by
state: 2003--04 (continued)

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  State          Race/ethnicity                                                           Gender            Eligibility status 
  -------------- ---------------- ------- ---------- ---------- ------- ---------- ------ -------- -------- ------------------ --------
                 American Indian  Asian   Black/     Hispanic   White   Native     More   Male     Female   Low-income/        All
                 or Alaska native         African-   or Latino          Hawaiian   than                     first-generation   other
                                          American                      or other   one                                         groups
                                                                        Pacific    race                                        
                                                                        Islander                                               

  New Jersey     1.7              7.6     37.7       24.5       25.3    0.7        2.4    32.2     67.8     65.7               34.3

  New Mexico     16.0             1.0     4.8        48.8       27.5    0.1        1.8    34.9     65.1     64.4               35.6

  New York       1.8              7.9     27.9       20.7       39.9    0.3        1.5    37.4     62.6     51.4               48.6

  North Carolina 2.0              0.9     58.8       1.8        35.7    0.2        0.6    25.9     74.1     66.7               33.3

  North Dakota   37.0             1.2     3.7        1.8        55.6    0.2        0.5    38.3     61.7     65.0               35.0

  Northern       0.0              2.2     0.0        0.0        0.0     97.8       0.0    29.7     70.3     78.2               21.8
  Mariana                                                                                                                      
  Islands                                                                                                                      

  Ohio           0.6              1.6     42.2       3.5        49.9    0.1        2.2    32.9     67.1     54.5               45.5

  Oklahoma       17.6             0.8     22.1       4.3        53.4    0.2        1.7    32.3     67.7     63.9               36.1

  Oregon         4.0              5.2     6.2        10.9       68.4    1.0        4.2    31.0     69.0     63.0               37.0

  Palau          0.0              0.0     0.0        0.0        0.0     100.0      0.0    50.8     49.2     76.4               23.6

  Pennsylvania   0.6              5.0     29.2       6.8        57.1    0.4        0.9    37.1     62.9     55.2               44.8

  Puerto Rico    0.0              0.0     0.4        99.4       0.1     0.0        0.0    32.1     67.9     71.5               28.5

  Rhode Island   1.3              4.5     24.8       25.2       39.6    0.0        4.6    29.6     70.4     47.0               53.0

  South Carolina 0.5              0.9     70.9       1.3        25.8    0.2        0.5    23.1     76.9     67.7               32.3

  South Dakota   44.7             0.6     3.8        1.2        48.9    0.6        0.2    34.8     65.2     65.9               34.1

  Tennessee      0.9              0.8     50.7       1.4        45.0    0.4        0.8    29.3     70.7     67.8               32.2

  Texas          0.8              2.4     27.4       43.9       24.0    0.6        0.8    30.1     69.9     68.4               31.6

  Utah           12.7             2.7     3.0        10.6       67.2    2.6        1.0    38.5     61.5     60.4               39.6

  Vermont        1.0              1.2     2.5        1.8        92.7    0.2        0.6    41.8     58.2     52.3               47.7

  Virginia       0.5              0.8     45.8       1.0        50.8    0.2        0.9    28.1     71.9     62.5               37.5

  Washington     6.1              11.1    11.7       16.5       49.9    1.2        3.4    30.5     69.5     67.1               32.9

  West Virginia  0.6              0.6     21.5       1.4        74.8    0.1        1.0    36.9     63.1     66.1               33.9

  Wisconsin      6.4              14.7    12.7       7.3        58.1    0.3        0.5    40.0     60.0     59.9               40.1

  Wyoming        11.5             0.7     2.0        8.1        74.4    0.1        3.2    31.2     68.8     60.5               39.5

  Total          3.9              4.5     30.5       17.0       41.6    1.2        1.4    32.0     68.0     63.4               36.6
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2003--04.

# Appendix C

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648405 .anchor}Supporting Tables for Figures

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648838 .anchor}Table C--1. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all\
degree-granting institutions, by type of institution: 2003--04

  ---------------------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- ----------------
  Type of institution    Grantees               All               
                                                degree-granting   
                                                institutions      

                         Number     Percent     Number            Percent

  Public four-year       334        35.7        634               15.0
  institution                                                     

  Private four-year      141        15.1        1,896             44.8
  institution                                                     

  Public two-year        449        48.0        1,086             25.6
  institution                                                     

  Private two-year       12         1.3         620               14.6
  institution                                                     

  Total                  936        100.0       4,236             100.0
  ---------------------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- ----------------

SOURCE: Data from program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, and from the National Center for Education
Statistics, *Digest of Education Statistics*, Washington, D.C., 2004,
Table 244---Degree-granting institutions, by control and type of
institution: 1949--50 through 2003--04. This table can be found at:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/tables/dt04_244.asp.

*Note:* Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648839 .anchor}Table C--2. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services grantees and all\
degree-granting institutions, by minority-serving and
nonminority-serving status: 2003--04

  ------------------------------- ---------- ---------- ----------------- ---------
  Institutional status            Grantees              All               
                                                        degree-granting   
                                                        institutions      

                                  Number     Percent    Number            Percent

  Historically Black Colleges and 65         6.9        104               2.5
  Universities (HBCUs)                                                    

  Hispanic-Serving Institutions   103        11.0       242               5.7
  (HSIs)                                                                  

  Tribal Colleges and             24         2.6        35                0.8
  Universities (TCUs)                                                     

  Nonminority serving             744        79.5       3,855             91.0
  institutions                                                            

  Total                           936        100.0      4,236             100.0
  ------------------------------- ---------- ---------- ----------------- ---------

Source: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education,
Federal TRIO Programs, Student Support Services annual performance
reports, 2003--04, and from the U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System, *Digest of Education Statistics*, Washington, D.C., 2004.

*Note:* Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648840 .anchor}Table C--3. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,\
by participant status and type of institution: 2003--04

  ------------------------ -------------- ----------- -------------- ------------
  Participant status       Type of                                   
                           institution                               

                           Two-year                   Four-year      
                           institutions               institutions   

                           Number         Percent     Number         Percent

  New\*                    39,839         41.1        41,918         37.6

  Continuing\*\*           57,069         58.9        69,556         62.4

  Total                    96,908         100.0       111,474        100.0
  ------------------------ -------------- ----------- -------------- ------------

SOURCE: Program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

*Note:* Number of participants is based on valid responses in the field
of participant status only; number of participants may differ from other
tables in this report due to invalid responses. Percentages may not sum
to 100 due to rounding.

\*A *new* *participant* is an individual who participated in the SSS
program for the first time in the reporting period.

\*\*A *continuing* *participant* is an individual who received services
in both the current reporting period and in a previous reporting period.

> []{#__RefHeading___Toc163648841 .anchor}Table C--4. Number and
> percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,\
> by eligibility status and type of institution: 2003--04

  ---------------------------- -------------- ----------- -------------- ----------
  Eligibility status           Type of                                   
                               institution                               

                               Two-year                   Four-year      
                               institutions               institutions   

                               Number         Percent     Number         Percent

  Low-income and               61,271         64.8        68,346         62.2
  first-generation                                                       

  Low-income and disabled      6,354          6.7         5,943          5.4

  Low-income only              5,711          6.0         8,804          8.0

  First-generation only        16,087         17.0        19,341         17.6

  Disabled                     5,199          5.5         7,428          6.8

  Total                        94,622         100.0       109,862        100.0
  ---------------------------- -------------- ----------- -------------- ----------

SOURCE: Program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

*Note:* Number of participants is based on valid responses in the field
of eligibility status only; number of participants may differ from other
tables in this report due to invalid responses. Percentages may not sum
to 100 due to rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648842 .anchor}Table C--5. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,\
by current year enrollment status and type of institution: 2003--04

  ----------------- --------------- ------------- -------------- ------------
  Enrollment status Type of                                      
                    institution                                  

                    Two-year                      Four-year      
                    institutions                  institutions   

                    Number          Percent       Number         Percent

  Full-time         50,847          52.7          86,172         77.8

  Three-quarter     7,150           7.4           3,251          2.9
  time                                                           

  Half time         7,746           8.0           3,579          3.2

  Less than half    4,724           4.9           1,691          1.5
  time                                                           

  Varied\*          23,932          24.8          13,891         12.5

  Unknown           2,119           2.2           2,208          2.0

  Total             96,518          100.0         110,792        100.0
  ----------------- --------------- ------------- -------------- ------------

SOURCE: Program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

*Note:* Number of participants is based on valid responses in the field
of enrollment status only; number of participants may differ from other
tables in this report due to invalid responses. Percentages may not sum
to 100 due to rounding.

\**Varied enrollment* refers to instances in which the enrollment status
of a student varies from one semester or quarter to another semester or
quarter. For example, the enrollment status of a student who enrolls
half-time in the fall semester and three-quarter time in the spring
semester would be classified as varied enrollment.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648843 .anchor}Table C--6. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,\
by race/ethnicity and type of institution: 2003--04

  ---------------------------- -------------- ---------- -------------- ---------
  Race/ethnicity               Type of                                  
                               institution                              

                               Two-year                  Four-year      
                               institutions              institutions   

                               Number         Percent    Number         Percent

  American Indian or Alaska    4,364          4.5        3,653          3.3
  Native                                                                

  Asian                        2,862          3.0        6,341          5.8

  Black or African-American    27,719         28.8       35,126         31.9

  Hispanic or Latino           13,662         14.2       21,473         19.5

  White                        44,701         46.5       41,114         37.3

  Native Hawaiian or other     1,661          1.7        781            0.7
  Pacific Islander                                                      

  More than one race           1,219          1.3        1,632          1.5
  reported\*                                                            

  Total                        96,188         100.0      110,120        100.0
  ---------------------------- -------------- ---------- -------------- ---------

SOURCE: Program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

*Note:* Number of participants is based on valid responses in the field
of race/ethnicity only; number of participants may differ from other
tables in this report due to invalid responses. Percentages may not sum
to 100 due to rounding.

\**More than one race reported* is a check box in the race/ethnicity
field of the annual performance report.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc163648844 .anchor}Table C--7. Number and
percentage distribution of Student Support Services participants,\
by gender and type of institution: 2003--04

  --------------------------- -------------- ---------- -------------- ---------
  Gender                      Type of                                  
                              institution                              

                              Two -year                 Four-year      
                              institutions              institutions   

                              Number         Percent    Number         Percent

  Male                        26,792         27.7       39,800         35.7

  Female                      70,009         72.3       71,552         64.3

  Total                       96,801         100.0      111,352        100.0
  --------------------------- -------------- ---------- -------------- ---------

SOURCE: Program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO
Programs, Student Support Services annual performance reports, 2003--04.

*Note:* Number of participants is based on valid responses in the field
of gender only; number of participants may differ from other tables in
this report due to invalid responses. Percentages may not sum to 100 due
to rounding.

# Glossary

This glossary defines the terms used in the report. Some of them are
specific to the TRIO program and do not necessarily apply to other U.S.
Department of Education programs.

**Annual performance report (APR)** is the program report submitted to
TRIO by each grantee annually. The SSS APRs include information
describing the participants, activities, and outcome measures for the
funded programs.

**First-generation college student** means a student from a family in
which neither parent (whether natural or adoptive) received a
baccalaureate degree or a student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly
resided with and received support from only one natural or adoptive
parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate
degree.

**Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)** are institutions of higher
education that have a full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate
enrollment that is at least 25 percent Hispanic and where not less than
50 percent of the institution's Hispanic students are low-income
individuals as defined in the *Higher Education Act of 1965*, 20
*U.S.C.* §1101a (see low-income individuals below).

**Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)** are defined by
the *Higher Education Act of 1965*, as amended, as "any historically
black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose
principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and
that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or
association determined by the Secretary \[of Education\] to be a
reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is,
according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress
toward accreditation."

**Individual with disabilities** means a student who has a diagnosed
physical or mental impairment that substantially limits his or her
ability to participate in the educational experiences and opportunities
offered by the grantee institution.

**Low-income individual** means a student whose family's taxable income
does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level in the calendar year
preceding the year in which the individual initially received services.
The poverty level amount is determined by using criteria established by
the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

**Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)** are postsecondary institutions
that reported an enrollment of a single minority group, as the term
"minority" is defined under §365(2) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1067k(2)), or
a combination of those minority groups, that exceeded 50 percent of its
total enrollment. For the purpose of this report, "minority" is defined
as American Indian, Alaska Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin) and
Hispanic. Pacific Islanders also are considered to be minorities for
purposes of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program
(MSEIP). The list of minority institutions was complied based on the
definition of "minority institution" found in §365(3) of the Higher
Education Act (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3)), and on enrollment data from
the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collected by
the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

**Participant status** indicates involvement in the SSS program for each
student in the reporting year.

-   A *new participant* is an individual who participated in the Student
    Support Services program for the first time in the current reporting
    period.

-   A *continuing participant* is an individual who participated in the
    Student Support Services program in both the current reporting
    period and in a previous reporting period.

**Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)** are postsecondary
institutions created to meet the higher education needs of American
Indians, who often reside in geographically isolated rural areas with
little access to postsecondary education. These tribally controlled
postsecondary institutions are funded in part by the *Tribally
Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978* (Public Law
95‑471).

# References

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, *A
Profile of the Student Support Services Program: 1996--97*, Washington,
D.C., 2001.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, *A
Profile of the Student Support Services Program: 1997--98 and 1998--99,
With Select Data From 1999--2000*, Washington, D.C., 2004.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, *A
Profile of the Student Support Services Program: 1997--1999 Through
2001--02, With Select Data From\
1999--2000*, Washington, D.C., 2005.

[^1]: The Federal TRIO Programs have grown from three to eight programs
    since they were first authorized by the *Higher Education Act of
    1965*, as amended, and now include Upward Bound (1964), Talent
    Search (1965), Student Support Services (1968), Educational
    Opportunity Centers (1972), Training Program for Federal TRIO
    Programs (1976), Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement
    (1986), Upward Bound Math-Science (1990), and TRIO Dissemination
    Partnership (1998).

[^2]: The targeted total of participants refers to the grantee's planned
    level of service in terms of numbers of students, as agreed to by
    the Federal TRIO office before the beginning of the funding year,
    corresponding to the *number of participants funded to serve* in
    table 1.

[^3]: *Students served* includes new and continuing participants
    reported by each grantee.

[^4]: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education
    Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, *Digest
    of Education Statistics*, Washington, D.C., 2004

[^5]: To receive assistance, students must be enrolled or accepted for
    enrollment in a program of postsecondary education at a grantee
    institution. Low-income students who are first-generation college
    students or students with disabilities evidencing academic need are
    eligible to participate in the SSS program. Two-thirds of the
    participants in any SSS project must be low-income and
    first-generation, low-income and disabled, or disabled only.
    One-third of the disabled participants must be low-income students.

[^6]: An example of varied enrollment is a student enrolling half-time
    in the fall semester and three-quarter time in the spring semester.

[^7]: Tables 3, 4, and 5 show the percentage of freshmen who reported
    being enrolled in the reporting year, not the percentage of freshmen
    who continuously enrolled.

[^8]: A nongrantee institution refers to a postsecondary institution
    that was not funded by the SSS program in the reporting year.

[^9]: The SSS program is currently exploring alternative data sets to
    supplement the degree completion rates information.

[^10]: To be included in the analysis, a participant must be a full-time
    freshman who graduated from or enrolled in a two-year institution
    one year after the freshman year and enrolled within the next three
    years after the freshman year in a four-year institution. This
    second restriction was imposed to provide more comparable samples
    because SSS grantees only serve enrolled students. In a two-year
    institution, for example, participants who received two years of
    services also must have enrolled for at least two years (and, hence,
    had a better chance of completing college), whereas participants who
    received one year of services include some freshmen who dropped out
    by the end of the first year, providing a biased picture in favor of
    participants who received a longer period of program services.
    Limiting the analysis of length of program services to only those
    freshmen who continuously enrolled for two years in two-year
    institutions and for four years in four-year institutions controls
    for this possible bias.