Voices of TRiO Students: Promoting Equity and Social Justice through the Federal TRiO Programs
This inquiry investigates how the federal TRiO programs, Upward Bound and Student
Support Services promote
equity and social justice through community building, leadership and academic activities
and holistic life skills.
This research details the history of the TRiO programs, the barriers that low- income
and first generation students
experience when accessing higher education, and the effects TRiO has had on students
in their quest to better
their lives. The results of this study include direct, unedited responses from the
students themselves about their
experience with their respective TRiO program at Dakota County Technical College.
Through content analysis,
surveys, and interviews, this qualitative study found that TRiO has had a positive
impact on students, increasing
their self- esteem, self-confidence, thus breaking higher education barriers, teaching
civic responsibility and
helping students rise above their current station so that they can be educated, productive
members of society.