Purdue University Northwest has received $1.8 million in renewed federal funding to support first-generation and low-income students as well as students with disabilities.
Through the university’s TRIO Student Support Services program, eligible students receive financial assistance, counseling, tutoring and other services, including professional development opportunities at conferences and other universities around the country.
“This grant allows Purdue University Northwest to deepen our commitment to ensuring that all students—regardless of background—can thrive academically and personally,” program director Jorge Lopez said in a news release. “Student Support Services helps level the playing field and equips our students with the tools and confidence to graduate and lead.”
The university’s TRIO program serves about 200 Purdue University Northwest students. The funding renewal will benefit eligible students over the next five years.
TRIO programs are federally funded outreach and student services programs designed to provide assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Other TRIO programs include Upward Bound and Talent Search.
The programs began in the 1960s to address barriers to education for low-income students.
The Trump administration aims to eliminate them in a budget plan before Congress, saying programs like Upward Bound are antiquated and unnecessary because access to college for students of limited means is no longer the obstacle it once was.