Fast Facts Report for the 

Talent Search Program 

Contents 

What Is the Talent 

Search Program?..............................1 

What Are the Characteristics 

of Higher Education Institutions 

With Talent Search Grants?...............5 

How Many Target Schools 

Are Associated With the 

Talent Search Program? ...................6 

Who Are the Talent Search 

Program Participants? .....................10 

What Are the Talent Search 

Program Outcomes?.........................12 

What Is the Talent Search Program? 

Background 

The Talent Search (TS) program is one of the Federal TRIO Programs — a 

group of seven outreach programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education 

(Department). The goal of TS is to support students from disadvantaged 

backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education, and to 

help these students progress through the academic pipeline from middle 

school to postsecondary degree attainment. The program provides academic, 

career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to 

graduate from high school and continue on to college. TS also encourages 

individuals who have not completed secondary or postsecondary education 

to reenter and complete their education. 

In 2008, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) was signed into law, 

amending the Higher Education Act. The HEOA made significant changes to 

TS (which were implemented during the 2011–16 grant cycle). Most notably, 

the new law increased the standardization of services across grantees. 

Under the HEOA, the following services are mandatory, though additional 

ones may also be provided: 

¡ Connecting participants to academic tutoring services; 

¡ Advising and assisting with secondary school course selection and 

(if applicable) initial postsecondary course selection; 

¡ Assisting with preparation for college entrance examinations and 

completion of college admissions applications; 

¡ Assisting with financial aid applications; 

¡ Providing guidance on and assistance with secondary school reentry; 

¡ Providing guidance on and assistance with alternative education programs 

for secondary school dropouts; 

¡ Providing guidance on and assistance with entry into general educational 

development (GED) programs or postsecondary education; and 

¡ Connecting participants to education or counseling services to improve 

their financial and economic literacy. 
Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program | 2 

The HEOA also increased the duration of the TS funding cycle from a four-year to a five-year 


period. Grant recipients (i.e., grantees) are institutions of higher education, public and private
 

agencies, and organizations (including community-based organizations) with experience in 

serving disadvantaged youths and secondary schools. Combinations of such institutions,
 

agencies, and organizations may also apply for grants. These grantees develop and deliver 

the services directly to participants. 

To increase the intensity 

of program services for the 

2011–16 funding cycle,
 

the U.S. Department of 


Education reduced the

minimum number of 

participants to be served 

from 600 (in the 2006–

11 cycle) to 500 (in the 

2011–16 cycle). 

Due to the changes that occurred within the TS program as a result of the HEOA, trends in 

TS program characteristics and outcomes across grant cycles are difficult to interpret. As a 

result, this report examines program characteristics and outcomes from only the first three 

years of the 2011–16 grant cycle (2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14). A small number of 

grantees from the 2006–11 grant cycle had grants that extended past 2010–11 even though 

they were not funded in the 2011–16 grant cycle. Data are reported for these grantees in the 

years they received funding and provided information about the participants they served. 

Data Sources 

The information in this report comes from four main sources: annual performance reports (APRs), the U.S. Department 

of Education Federal TRIO Programs Funded Projects Database, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). 

Results in this report 

are based on grantees 

that submitted annual 

performance reports (APRs) 

in the given reporting year. 

In 2011–12, one grantee 

did not submit an APR. In 

2012–13, one grantee 

relinquished its grant and 

did not submit an APR. 

Every year, TS grantees are required to submit an APR that includes program participants’ 

background information as well as their academic status at the end of the reporting period. 

Reporting periods correspond to academic years, and for most grantees run from September 

through the following August. TS grantees report the total number of participants within a 

number of specific categories — such as gender or postsecondary enrollment status 

— rather than the status of individual participants. 

Information about TS grantees comes from either the Funded Projects Database or the 

2013–14 IPEDS. The Funded Projects Database contains program characteristics for TS 

grantees, such as the amount of funding the grantee received, the number of participants 

the grantee was funded to serve, and characteristics of the grantees themselves. Additional 

information about “grantee institutions,” or institutions of higher education that have at 

least one TS grant, is obtained from the IPEDS, which contains information about every 

college, university, and technical and vocational institution that participates in federal 

student financial aid programs. Information about the characteristics of high schools and 

middle schools that TS participants attend is obtained from the 2013–14 CCD, which 

annually collects demographic and fiscal data for all public schools in the U.S. 

Program Funding 

Table 1 shows the funding characteristics of the TS program, as well as the size of the program (as reflected in the 

number of participants). 

¡ Between 2011–12 (the first program year of the 2011–16 funding cycle) and 2013–14, the number of grantees 

decreased from 460 to 452 because one grantee that was funded in the current grant cycle relinquished its grant 

and seven grantees from the previous grant cycle had their program funding end.1 

1	 Eight grantees who submitted APR data in 2011–12 were not funded under the 2011–16 grant cycle, but their grants from the previous grant cycle extended 

into the current grant cycle. Of these eight grantees, six received program funding through 2011–12, one received program funding through 2012–13, and 

one received program funding through 2013–14. 
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¡ The federal budget sequestration in fall 2013 reduced the total amount of program funding.2 As a result, the average 

funding per grantee decreased from $300,564 to $284,443 between 2012–13 and 2013–14. This reduction led to a 

corresponding decrease in the total number of participants that grantees were funded to serve from 313,141 to 

300,505, and in the number of program participants from 316,209 to 305,983. 

¡ For each of the TS grantees, the Department specifies the minimum number of participants that the grantee is funded 

to serve. In 2012–13 and 2013–14, the number of program participants exceeded the number of participants that 

grantees were funded to serve. For example, in 2013–14 grantees were funded to serve 300,505 participants and TS 

grantees served 305,983 participants. 

Table 1. Talent Search program funding characteristics, by reporting year: 2011–12 through 2013–14 

Reporting year 

Program funding characteristics 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 

Number of grantees funded 460 453 452 

Total program funding $138,353,221 $136,155,365 $128,568,170 

Average funding per grantee $300,768 $300,564 $284,443 

Total number of participants funded to serve 318,191 313,141 300,505 

Average number of participants funded to serve per grantee 692 691 665 

Total number of program participants 317,345 316,209 305,983 

Average number of program participants per grantee 690 698 677 

Average cost per participant served $436 $431 $420 

NOTE: This table reflects information from the first three years of the 2011–2016 Talent Search program funding cycle. Results are based on grantees that submitted 

Talent Search annual performance reports (APRs) in the given reporting year. In 2011–12, one grantee did not submit an APR. In 2012–13, one grantee relinquished its 

grant and did not submit an APR. In 2013–14, all grantees submitted an APR. Due to the sequestration in the fall of 2013, funding decreased by approximately 5.2 

percent between the 2012–13 and 2013–14 funding years. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, 

Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14. 

Table 2 presents the number of grantees, number of program participants, total funding, and average cost per participant 

by reporting year and by type of grantee (i.e., four-year institution, two-year institution, and other organization3). 

¡ In each reporting year, four-year institutions administered the largest number of TS grants, followed by two-year 

institutions. Correspondingly, a larger number of participants received program services from four-year institutions 

than from two-year institutions and other organizations. For example, in 2013–14 there were 204 grants awarded to 

four-year institutions, 160 grants awarded to two-year institutions, and 88 grants awarded to other organizations. In 

the same year, there were 143,219 program participants at four-year institutions, 101,990 participants at two-year 

institutions, and 60,774 participants at other organizations. 

2	 Sequestration refers to the automatic cuts to U.S. federal government spending in particular categories of outlays (including education) in fall 2013. Each 

TRIO program’s funding was reduced by 5.2 percent in 2013–14 due to sequestration. 

3	 The TS program’s regulations established eligible entities for grants: institutions of higher education; public or private agencies or organizations, including 

community-based organizations, with experience in serving disadvantaged youths; secondary schools; and combinations of such institutions, agencies, and 

organizations. In this report, all grantees that are not institutions of higher education are referred to as “other organizations.” 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

¡ The average cost per participant was higher at four-year institutions than at the other two types of grantees during 

the first three years of the 2011–16 grant cycle. For example, in 2013–14, the average cost per program participant 

was $426 at four-year institutions, $418 at two-year institutions, and $410 at other organizations. 

Table 2. Number of Talent Search grantees and program participants, total funding, and average cost per program participant, 

by reporting year and type of grantee: 2011–12 through 2013–14 

Reporting year 

Grantee and program funding characteristics 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 

Total number of grantees 460 453 452 

Four-year institutions 205 204 204 

Two-year institutions 161 160 160 

Other organizations 94 89 88 

Total number of program participants 317,345 316,209 305,983 

Four-year institutions 146,506 147,956 143,219 

Two-year institutions 104,512 104,961 101,990 

Other organizations 66,327 63,292 60,774 

Total funding $138,353,221 $136,155,365 $128,568,170 

Four-year institutions $64,630,707 $64,331,058 $60,966,539 

Two-year institutions $45,325,582 $45,022,497 $42,667,820 

Other organizations $28,396,932 $26,801,810 $24,933,811 

Average cost per program participant $436 $431 $420 

Four-year institutions $441 $435 $426 

Two-year institutions $434 $429 $418 

Other organizations $428 $423 $410 

NOTE: This table reflects information from the first three years of the 2011–2016 Talent Search program funding cycle. Results are based on grantees that submitted 

Talent Search annual performance reports (APRs) in the given reporting year. Due to the sequestration in the fall of 2013, funding decreased by approximately 5.2 

percent between the 2012–13 and 2013–14 funding years. “Other organizations” refers to public and private agencies and organizations, including community-based 

organizations and secondary schools. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, 

Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14. 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

What Are the Characteristics of Higher Education 

Institutions With Talent Search Grants? 

Table 3 displays the following characteristics of institutions of higher education that administered at least one TS 

grant (i.e., grantee institutions) in 2013–14: minority-serving institution status; degree of urbanization (i.e., whether 

the institution is located in an urban, suburban, or rural area); and institutional control (i.e., whether the institution 

is public or private). To provide context, table 3 also contains information about all public and private, not-for-profit 

two-year and four-year institutions of higher education included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS).4 

¡ Among grantee institutions, 12 percent of four-year institutions and 3 percent of two-year institutions were 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In comparison, only 4 percent of all four-year institutions 

and 1 percent of two-year institutions in the IPEDS subpopulation were HBCUs. 

¡ Eleven percent of four-year grantee institutions and 10 percent of two-year grantee institutions were Hispanicserving institutions.5 

¡ The majority (64 percent) of four-year grantee institutions were located in urban settings (compared with 51 

percent for the nation’s four-year institutions in the IPEDS subpopulation). Two-year grantee institutions and 

two-year institutions in the IPEDS subpopulation were most commonly located in rural settings (45 percent 

and 44 percent, respectively). 

¡ Over three-quarters (78 percent) of the four-year grantee institutions and all of the two-year grantee institutions 

were public colleges and universities. This compares with only 28 percent of four-year institutions and 83 

percent of two-year institutions in the IPEDS subpopulation. 

Table 3. Number and percentage distribution of two- and four-year Talent Search grantee institutions and institutions in the 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) subpopulation, by minority-serving institution type, degree 

of urbanization, and control of institution: 2013–14 

Talent Search Institutions in 

grantee institutions IPEDS subpopulation 

Institutional characteristics 

Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Number of institutions 169 146 2,270 1,366 

Percentage distribution by minority-serving status 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities 11.8 2.7 3.9 0.8 

Hispanic-serving institutions 11.2 9.6 — — 

Tribally controlled colleges and universities 0.0 1.4 0.6 1.5 

Asian American and Native American Pacific 3.6 5.5 — —
 

Islander-serving institutions
 

Institutions classified as serving multiple minority populations 5.9 3.4 — —
 

Predominantly black institutions 0.6 2.7 — —
 

Continued on next page... 

4	 The IPEDS contains information for institutions of higher education; therefore, TS grantees classified as other organizations are excluded from table 3. In 

addition, for-profit institutions and institutions in which the highest degree offered is less than an associate degree are excluded from this table because 

zero TS grantees fall into these categories. 

5 Information about Hispanic-serving institutions is not available in the IPEDS. 

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Continued from previous page... 

Table 3. Number and percentage distribution of two- and four-year Talent Search grantee institutions and institutions in the 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) subpopulation, by minority-serving institution type, degree 

of urbanization, and control of institution: 2013–14 

Talent Search Institutions in 

grantee institutions IPEDS subpopulation 

Institutional characteristics 

Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Number of institutions 169 146 2,270 1,366 

Percentage distribution by degree of urbanization 

Urban 63.9 32.6 50.6 35.5 

Suburban 12.4 22.9 26.0 21.0 

Rural 23.7 44.5 23.4 43.5 

Percentage distribution by institutional control 

Public institution 77.5 100.0 28.0 83.0 

Private institution, not-for-profit 22.5 0.0 72.0 17.0 

—Not available. 

NOTE: The results reported for the Talent Search (TS) grantee institutions include the unique institutions of higher education that administered TS grants in the 

2013–14 reporting year. While 29 institutions had two TS grants and seven had at least three TS grants, each institution is counted once in this table. Information about 

minority-serving institutions and institutional control for grantee institutions was obtained from the Funded Projects Database. Information on degree of 

urbanization for grantee institutions, and all information for IPEDS institutions, was obtained from the IPEDS. TS grantee institutions are classified as two-year and 

four-year institutions based on the primary degree awarded at the institution. IPEDS institutions are classified as two-year and four-year institutions based on the 

highest degree awarded at the institution. IPEDS institutions that awarded bachelor’s degrees and had the Carnegie classification of “Associate’s college” were 

re-classified as two-year institutions. For-profit institutions and institutions where the highest degree offered is less than an associate degree are excluded from 

this table because zero TS grantee institutions fall into these categories. In the IPEDS, information on degree of urbanization is reported in four major groupings 

(city, suburb, town, and rural) based on institutions’ locations relative to urbanized areas. The three town and rural codes (fringe, distant, and remote) constitute 

the “rural” grouping. For full documentation of the IPEDS variables, please see http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2013 Institutional 

Characteristics survey; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013. 

How Many Target Schools Are Associated 

With the Talent Search Program? 

Table 4 and figure 1 provide information about the number of target schools associated with 

the TS program. Table 5 and figure 2 provide information about the number of participants 

who received services from the TS program within target schools. 

¡ Table 4 shows that in 2013–14, TS grantees served participants who collectively 

attended a total of 4,393 target schools. 

¡ Overall, grantees had a median of eight target schools each. 

¡ Four-year institutions had a median of nine target schools, and two-year institutions 

had a median of eight. Other organizations had a median of five target schools. 

Talent Search grantees 

primarily serve 

participants at middle 

schools or high schools; 

these are referred to as 

“target schools.” 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

 

 

Table 4. Number of Talent Search grantees, number of target schools, and median number of target schools per grantee, 

by type of grantee: 2013–14 

Type of grantee 

Grantee and target school information Overall 

Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Other 

organizations 

Number of grantees 452 204 160 88 

Number of target schools 4,393 2,080 1,575 738 

Median number of target schools per grantee 8 9 8 5 

NOTE: Target schools are middle schools or high schools selected by grantees as the focus of Talent Search program services. The total number of target schools is the 

sum of the number of schools reported by each grantee. Schools that were reported by more than one grantee are included in the results more than once (i.e., once for 

each reporting grantee). “Other organizations” refers to public and private agencies and organizations, including community-based organizations and secondary schools. 

The median number of target schools per grantee is the number of target schools at which half of the grantees reported fewer target schools and half of the grantees 

reported more target schools. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, 

Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

Figure 1 shows the number of target schools reported by type of grantee. Over one-third (38 percent) of four-year 

institutions and nearly half (48 percent) of two-year institutions reported from six to 10 target schools. More than half 

(53 percent) of other organizations reported from one to five target schools. 

Figure 1. Number and percentage distribution of target schools, by type of grantee: 2013–14 

NOTE: Target schools are middle schools or high schools selected by grantees as the focus of Talent Search program services. Schools that were reported by more than 

one grantee are included in the results more than once (i.e., once for each reporting grantee). “Other organizations” refers to public and private agencies and organizations, 

including community-based organizations and secondary schools. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, 

Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

Other organizations (88 grantees) 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

1 to 5 schools 6 to 10 schools 11 to 20 schools 21 or more schools 

25% 38% 

Four-year institutions (204 grantees) 

Two-year institutions (160 grantees) 

30% 7% 

16% 48% 32% 4%

53% 25% 15% 7% 

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Table 5 shows the total number of program participants in all target schools and the average number of participants 

per target school by type of grantee.6 

¡ In 2013–14, the TS program provided services to 293,823 students who collectively attended 4,393 target schools. 

¡ On average, TS grantees served 67 participants per target school. Fewer participants per target school were served 

by two-year institutions (63 participants) and four-year institutions (66 participants) than by other organizations (77 

participants), on average. 

Table 5. Number of target schools, number of participants served in target schools, and average number of program 

participants per target school, by type of grantee: 2013–14 

Type of grantee 

Number of target schools and participants 

served in target schools 

Overall Four-year 

institutions 

Two-year 

institutions 

Other 

organizations 

Number of target schools 4,393 2,080 1,575 738 

Number of participants served in target schools 293,823 137,192 99,655 56,976 

Average number of program participants 67 66 63 77 

per target school 

NOTE: Target schools are middle schools or high schools selected by grantees as the focus of Talent Search program services. The total number of target schools is 

the sum of the number of schools reported by each grantee. Schools that were reported by more than one grantee are included in the results more than once (i.e., 

once for each reporting grantee). “Other organizations” refers to public and private agencies and organizations, including community-based organizations and 

secondary schools. Fewer than 5 percent of participants in 2013–14 received program services outside of the school setting (not shown in this table). 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, 

Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

The number of program participants per target school is examined in more detail in figure 2. 

¡ More than half of target schools across all three types of grantees had 50 or fewer participants. 

¡ Nine percent of target schools associated with four-year institutions and 6 percent of target schools associated with 

two-year institutions had more than 150 participants. In contrast, 17 percent of the target schools associated with 

other organizations had more than 150 participants. 

6 A majority of Talent Search participants are served within target schools each year, with fewer than 5 percent of participants in 2013–14 receiving program 

services outside of the school setting. Table 5 presents information about the participants served through the 4,393 target schools. 

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Figure 2. Percentage distribution of target schools by the number of participants, within type of grantee: 2013–14 

NOTE: Target schools are middle schools or high schools selected by grantees as the focus of Talent Search program services. The total number of target schools is the 

sum of the number of schools reported by each grantee. Schools that were reported by more than one grantee are included in the results more than once (i.e., 

once for each reporting grantee). “Other organizations” refers to public and private agencies and organizations, including community-based organizations and 

secondary schools. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, 

Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

Other organizations (738 target schools) 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

1 to 50 participants 51 to 100 participants 101 to 150 participants More than 150 participants 

51% 29% 

Four-year institutions (2,080 target schools) 

Two-year institutions (1,575 target schools) 

12% 9% 

51% 32% 11% 6% 

53% 18% 12% 17% 

Table 6 shows characteristics of TS target schools alongside information for all schools in the Common Core of Data 

(CCD) serving students in any grade level between eight and 12.7 

¡ Overall, target schools were more likely than schools in the CCD subpopulation to have a student population in 

which more than half of the students were underrepresented minorities8 (47 percent of target schools compared 

with 34 percent of schools in the CCD subpopulation). 

¡ Eighty percent of target schools had a student population in which more than half of the students qualified 

for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of low-income status, compared with 54 percent of schools in 

the CCD subpopulation. 

¡ More target schools and schools in the CCD subpopulation were located in rural areas (53 percent of target 

schools; 46 percent of schools in the CCD subpopulation) than in urban or suburban areas. 

Table 6. Percentage of target schools and percentage of schools in the Common Core of Data (CCD) subpopulation that 

served any grade level between eight and 12, by certain school characteristics: 2013–14 

School characteristics 

Percent of 

target schools 

Percent of schools in the 

CCD subpopulation 

Schools in which more than half of the students are underrepresented 

minority students 

47.2 33.6 

Schools in which more than half of the students qualify for free 

or reduced-price lunch 

80.3 53.6 

Continued on next page... 

7	 Because TS predominately serves middle school and high school students, the sample of schools selected from the CCD for this comparison includes all 

schools that reported the enrollment of students who were in any grade level between eight and 12. 

8 Underrepresented minorities include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. 

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Continued from previous page... 

Table 6. Percentage of target schools and percentage of schools in the Common Core of Data (CCD) subpopulation that 

served any grade level between eight and 12, by certain school characteristics: 2013–14 

School characteristics 

Percent of 

target schools 

Percent of schools in the 

CCD subpopulation 

Degree of urbanization 

Urban 30.4 26.9 

Suburban 16.2 27.1 

Rural 53.4 46.0 

NOTE: Underrepresented minorities include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. Target schools are middle schools 

or high schools selected by grantees as the focus of Talent Search program services. The Common Core of Data (CCD) subpopulation includes all schools in the 

2013–14 academic year that reported serving any grade level between eight and 12. Characteristics of target schools are reported for unique target schools; therefore, 

a school reported by more than one grantee is counted only once. This table excludes 16 private target schools and 23 target schools located in Micronesia and Palau, 

because the CCD does not contain information for these schools. In addition, this table excludes 53 target schools with identifying information that did not link to 

the CCD data. In the CCD, information on the degree of urbanization is reported by four major groupings (city, suburb, town, and rural) based on the schools’ locations 

relative to urbanized areas. The three town and rural codes (fringe, distant, and remote) together constitute the “rural” grouping. For full documentation of the CCD 

variables, please see http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/ . Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14; and U.S. Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), 2013–14. 

Who Are the Talent Search Program Participants? 

Table 7 shows the characteristics of the TS participants for the 2013–14 reporting year. 

¡ The majority of TS participants (75 percent) were from low-income families and were also potentially 

first-generation students.9 

¡ Sixty-one percent of TS participants were female. 

¡ Thirty percent of program participants were African American, 26 percent were Hispanic, and 30 percent were white. 

¡ Three-quarters of participants (75 percent) were between 14 and 18 years of age, and nearly one- quarter (23 

percent) were younger than 14 years of age. 

¡ Twenty-seven percent of participants were enrolled in middle school (grades six through eight), 52 percent of participants 

were high school non-seniors (grades nine through 11), and 21 percent were high school seniors (grade 12). 

9	 Talent Search grantees must provide assurances that at least two-thirds of participants will be low-income individuals who are potentially first-generation 

college students. “Low income” refers to an individual whose family’s taxable income did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level in the calendar year 

preceding the year in which the individual initially participated in the project. “Potentially first-generation college status” refers to an individual neither of 

whose natural or adoptive parents 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, or an individual who, prior to the age of 18, 

did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or an adoptive parent. 

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Table 7. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by socioeconomic status, gender, race and ethnicity, 

age, and academic status: 2013–14 

Participant characteristics 

Number of 

participants 

Percent 

Socioeconomic status 

Low income and potentially first generation 228,509 74.7 

Low income only 22,458 7.3 

Potentially first generation only 37,909 12.4 

Neither low income nor potentially first generation 17,107 5.6 

Gender 

Female 185,480 60.6 

Male 120,503 39.4 

Race and ethnicity 

American Indian or Alaska Native 10,934 3.6 

Asian 12,347 4.0 

Black or African American 92,260 30.2 

Hispanic or Latino of any race 80,082 26.2 

White 92,757 30.3 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 3,796 1.2 

Two or more races 11,984 3.9 

Race and ethnicity unknown 1,823 0.6 

Age 

Between 10 and 13 years of age 69,633 22.8 

Between 14 and 18 years of age 229,781 75.1 

Between 19 and 27 years of age 5,859 1.9 

28 years of age or above 263 0.1 

Unknown age 447 0.1 

Academic status 

Middle school (grades 6–8) 82,646 27.0 

High school non-senior (grades 9–11) 158,508 51.8 

High school senior (grade 12 only) 62,812 20.5 

Participant not older than 18 years enrolled in an alternative education 529 0.2 

program at an academic level equivalent to that of a high school senior 

Postsecondary dropout 112 # 

Other/Unknown academic status 1,376 0.4 

# Rounds to zero. 

NOTE: Talent Search grantees must provide assurances that at least two-thirds of participants will be low-income individuals who are potentially first-generation college 

students. “Low income” refers to an individual whose family’s taxable income did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level in the calendar year preceding the year in 

which the individual initially participated in the project. “Potentially first-generation college status” refers to an individual neither of whose natural or adoptive 

parents 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, or an individual who, prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a 

natural or an adoptive parent. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

 

What Are the Talent Search Program Outcomes? 

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) mandates reporting on the performance 

of each TRIO program. The resultant data are published annually on the TRIO website (for TS 

see http://www2.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/grantee-level.html). The TS GPRA report is 

based on APR data and includes two measures of performance outcomes that are reported 

at the program level and at the grantee level. 

The two performance outcomes in the GPRA report are the financial aid application rate (i.e., 

the percentage of high school senior participants who applied for financial aid) and the 

postsecondary enrollment rate (i.e., the percentage of college-ready participants who enrolled 

in postsecondary education). In addition to these two outcomes, the types of institutions of 

higher education (e.g., four-year institutions, two-year institutions) in which participants 

enrolled are reported below. 

The financial aid 

application rate is the 

percentage of high school 

seniors who completed 

the Free Application for 

Federal Student Aid 

(FAFSA) during the 

reporting year.	 

Program Outcomes: 2011–12 Through 2013–14 

Table 8 displays the financial aid application and postsecondary 

enrollment outcomes for TS participants between 2011–12 

and 2013–14. 

¡ Between 2011–12 and 2013–14, 84 to 85 percent of high 

school seniors applied for financial aid. 

¡ Over the same reporting years, about 80 percent of collegeready seniors enrolled in institutions of higher education. 

The postsecondary enrollment rate is the 

percentage of college-ready seniors who enrolled 

in postsecondary education by the fall term 

immediately following high school graduation, 

or by the next academic term if the accepting 

institution deferred the participant’s enrollment. 

“College-ready” participants are high school 

seniors who received a high school diploma or 

alternative certification during the reporting year. 

Table 8. Number and percentage of Talent Search participants who applied for financial aid and number and percentage 

of participants who enrolled in postsecondary institutions, by reporting year: 2011–12 through 2013–14 

Reporting year 

Program outcomes 

Financial aid 

Participating high school seniors 

Participating high school seniors who applied 

for financial aid 

Financial aid application rate 

63,365 

53,818 

84.9% 

63,752 

53,416 

83.8% 

62,812 

53,079 

84.5% 

2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 

Continued on next page... 

| 	 12 
Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

 

 

Continued from previous page... 

Table 8. Number and percentage of Talent Search participants who applied for financial aid and number and percentage 

of participants who enrolled in postsecondary institutions, by reporting year: 2011–12 through 2013–14 

Reporting year 

Program outcomes 

Postsecondary enrollment 

College-ready participants 

College-ready participants who enrolled 

in postsecondary education 

Postsecondary enrollment rate 

61,695 

49,235 

79.8% 

62,057 

50,023 

80.6% 

61,183 

48,750 

79.7% 

2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 

NOTE: This table reflects information from the first three years of the 2011–16 Talent Search program funding cycle. Results are based on grantees that submitted 

Talent Search annual performance reports (APRs) in the given reporting year. The financial aid application rate is calculated as the percentage of high school seniors 

who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). College-ready participants are high school seniors who received a regular diploma or an alternative 

award (e.g., certificate of attendance, high school equivalency certificate) during the reporting year. The postsecondary enrollment rate is calculated as the percentage of 

college-ready participants who enrolled in postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school completion or by the next academic term if the 

institution deferred the participant’s enrollment. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14. 

Figure 3 displays the financial aid application rate by type of grantee for reporting periods between 2011–12 and 2013–14. 

Figure 3. Financial aid application rate among high school senior Talent Search participants, by type of grantee 

and reporting year: 2011–12 through 2013–14 

 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

 

 

 

 

¡ Between 2011–12 and 2012–13, there was a decrease in the financial aid application rate for four-year institutions, 

from 85 percent to 84 percent; however, this rate increased to 86 percent in 2013-14. 

¡ Two-year institutions experienced a decrease in the financial aid application rate from 85 percent to 82 percent 

between 2011–12 and 2013–14. 

¡ Other organizations also had a decrease in the financial aid application rate between 2011–12 and 2012–13, 

from 84 percent to 82 percent; however, the rate increased to 85 percent in 2013–14. 

Figure 4 illustrates the postsecondary enrollment rate by type of grantee for reporting periods between 2011–12 

and 2013–14. 

¡ The postsecondary enrollment rate for college-ready participants served by four-year institutions remained constant 

at approximately 80 percent across the three years. 

¡ In two-year institutions, the postsecondary enrollment rate for college-ready participants declined from 80 percent 

to 77 percent between 2011–12 and 2013–14. 

¡ Other organizations experienced an increase in the postsecondary enrollment rate among college-ready participants, 

from 79 percent in 2011–12 to 82 percent in 2013–14. 

Figure 4. Postsecondary enrollment rate among college-ready Talent Search participants, by type of grantee and reporting year: 

2011–12 through 2013–14 

NOTE: This figure reflects information from the first three years of the 2011–16 Talent Search program funding cycle. Results are based on grantees that 

submitted Talent Search annual performance reports (APRs) in the given reporting year. College-ready participants are high school seniors who received a regular 

diploma or an alternative award (e.g., certificate of attendance, high school equivalency certificate) during the reporting year. “Other organizations” refers to public and 

private agencies and organizations, including community-based organizations and secondary schools. The postsecondary enrollment rate is calculated as the 

percentage of college-ready participants who enrolled in postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school completion or by the next 

academic term if the institution deferred the participant’s enrollment. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, 

Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search annual performance reports, 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14. 

Four-year institutions 

Postsecondary enrollment rate 

Two-year institutions 

Other organizations 

2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 

80.3% 80.5% 80.0% 

80.1% 79.6% 77.4% 

79.0% 81.9% 81.6% 

70 

50 

60 

80 

90 

100 

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Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program

 

Figure 5 examines the types of postsecondary institutions in which TS participants enrolled after graduating from high 

school. Among participants who enrolled in postsecondary education, figure 5 shows the percentage who enrolled in 

(1) four-year institutions, (2) two-year institutions, and (3) “non-degree granting” institutions (referring to vocational, 

trade, and proprietary institutions, as well as institutions of an unknown type) during the 2013–14 reporting year.10 

¡ The majority of participants served by four-year institutions who enrolled in postsecondary education did so 

in four-year institutions of higher education (63 percent), while 35 percent enrolled in two-year institutions. 

¡ The majority of participants served by two-year institutions who enrolled in postsecondary education did so 

in two-year institutions (54 percent), while 44 percent enrolled in four-year institutions. 

¡ Participants served by other organizations who enrolled in postsecondary education were more likely to enroll 

in four-year institutions (54 percent) than in two-year institutions (42 percent). 

Figure 5. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants who enrolled in postsecondary education, by type of 

postsecondary institution and type of grantee: 2013–14 

NOTE: Percentages were calculated based on the number of participants who enrolled in postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school 

completion or by the next academic term if the institution deferred the participant’s enrollment. Participants enrolled in non-degree granting institutions include 

participants enrolled in vocational, trade, or proprietary institutions, as well as participants enrolled in an institution of an unknown type. “Other organizations” refers to 

public and private agencies and organizations, including community-based organizations and secondary schools. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Funded Projects Database, fiscal year 2013; and U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, 

Talent Search annual performance reports, 2013–14. 

Participants served by other organizations 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

Enrolled in four-year institutions Enrolled in two-year institutions Enrolled in non-degree granting institutions 

63% 35% 

Participants served by four-year institutions 

Participants served by two-year institutions 

2%

2%

4%

44% 54% 

54% 42% 

10 Similar results were seen in the 2011–12 and 2012–13 reporting years. 

| 15 
About the Study 

This report was produced under U.S. Department of Education (Department) Contract No. ED-OPE-12-C-0066 with RTI 

International. Daveta Brown served as the contracting officer’s representative. The views expressed herein do not 

necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department. No official endorsement by the Department of any 

product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred. 

U.S. Department of Education 

John B. King, Jr. 

Secretary 

Office of Postsecondary Education 

Lynn B. Mahaffie 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation 

Delegated the Duties of Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education 

Office of Postsecondary Education 

Higher Education Programs 

James T. Minor 

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Office of Postsecondary Education 

Higher Education Programs 

Student Service 

Linda Byrd-Johnson 

Senior Director 

September 2016 

This report is in the public domain. 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, Student Service, Fast Facts Report for the Talent Search Program, Washington, D.C., 2016. 

This report is available only online. To download, view, and print the report as a PDF file, go to http://www2.ed.gov/ 

programs/triotalent/resources.html. 

Availability of Alternate Formats 

Requests for documents in alternate formats such as Braille or large print should be submitted to the Alternate 

Format Center by calling 202-260-0852 or by contacting the 504 coordinator via e-mail at om_eeos@ed.gov. 

Notice to Limited English Proficient Persons 

If you have difficulty understanding English, you may request language assistance services for Department information 

that is available to the public. These language assistance services are available free of charge. If you need more 

information about interpretation or translation services, please call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) (TTY: 

1-800-437-0833), or e-mail us at ed.language.assistance@ed.gov. Or write to: U.S. Department of Education, 

Information Resource Center, LBJ Education Building, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202. 

7038_08/16