U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently introduced a bipartisan bill to modify the federal TRIO Programs, which are higher education opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sen. Collins on May 2 sponsored the Educational Opportunity and Success Act of 2023, S. 1397, alongside three original cosponsors, including Sen. Capito and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), to reauthorize and strengthen the programs.
The federal TRIO Programs, Sen. Capito said, help provide students in her home state and across the country with the resources and knowledge to pursue higher education opportunities.
“I’m proud to reintroduce this bill, which will enable future students to take advantage of opportunities provided by TRIO,” said Sen. Capito. “Helping our young men and women receive a high-quality education and build a lifetime of success is vital to the future of our state, and TRIO programs are so helpful in that mission.”
The legislation would reauthorize funds for the programs for the next six years, ease administrative burdens in determining income eligibility, and establish improved guidelines for notice of pending grant competitions, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The bill also would require the U.S. Department of Education to increase its notification period from 45 days to 90 days to help ensure that all prospective program grant applicants have ample opportunity to submit a successful application, the summary says, and increase student stipends, which have not been updated since 1980.
Among numerous other provisions, S. 1397 would update the application process, institute guidelines for TRIO applications, and direct those applications denied in error to be funded directly out of funds reserved for administrative purposes, states the summary.
“Congress created the TRIO programs because it recognized that low-income, first-generation students often face significant financial and societal obstacles to accessing and achieving success in higher education,” Sen. Collins said. “These programs have changed the lives of first-generation students in Maine and across the country, opening the doors to the opportunities of higher education.
“I urge our colleagues to join us in this effort to reauthorize and strengthen the federal TRIO Programs,” she added.