It began with Upward Bound which emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the governmental War on Poverty. In 1965, Educational Talent Search, the second outreach program, was created as part of the Higher Education Act. In 1968, Student Support Services, which was originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged Students, was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments and became the third in a series of educational opportunity programs. The legislative requirements for all TRIO programs can be found in the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2. The Bowling Green State University TRIO Programs provide information on academic and financial aid opportunities.
All programs ensure college retention and graduation.