This document summarizes information about the TRiO Student Support Services program at Eastern Illinois University. The TRiO program provides academic and personal support services to help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds succeed in college. Eligible students must be first-generation college students, meet income requirements, or have a documented disability. Services include academic assistance, career counseling, tutoring, financial guidance, and cultural enrichment activities. Studies cited have found students from low-SES backgrounds face barriers to academic success and need extra support to enhance their potential. The TRiO program aims to help students overcome challenges through personal growth and achieve their academic goals.

1. Eastern Illinois University
TRiO-Student Support Services
RM 3017 9th Street Hall
Charleston, IL 61920
Phone: (217) 581-7849
Fax: (217)-581-7951
Email: eiutrio@eiu.edu
https://www.facebook.com/eiu.trio
TRiO Eligibility
TRiO
Scholarship
Requires:
 2 letters of references and
an essay explaining your
needs.
 GPA 2.0.
 Complete the application
online:
http://www.eiu.edu/
~eiutrio//scholarship.php
The deadline to
apply is March 1st
 U.S. Citizen or
Permanent Resident
 Student at EIU
Meet 1 of the Following
 First generation college student
 Low Income – income does not
exceed 150% below poverty level
 Documented physical and/or
learning disabilities
References:
LAM, G. (2014). A THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK OF THE RE
LATION BETWEEN SOCI
OECONOMIC STATUS
AND ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT OF STU
DENTS. Education, 134(3),
326-331.
Tones, M., Fraser, J., Elder, R., &
White, K. M. (2009). Sup
porting mature-aged stu
dents from a low socioeco
nomic background. Higher
Education, 58(4), 505-529.
doi: 10.1007/s10734-009-
9208-y
Walker, A. (2014). Identity, Status,
and Culture: Examining
Barriers of Success for
Students from Low
Socioeconomic Back
grounds. New Directions for
Teaching and Learning,
2014(140), 23-30.
doi: 10.1002/tl.20110

2. Types of Services
Academic Assistance
Career & Academic Planning
Personal Counseling
Cultural Enrichment Opportunities
Financial Guidance
Disability Accommodations
Leadership Development
Computer Lab
Graduate School Visits
Workshops
Faculty/Staff Mentor Program
Facts About Student
Support Services
The main goal of TRiO is to provide the
resources and help stimulate the
academic success of students from low
socioeconomic backgrounds. It is
proven through studies that students
coming from this background are more
likely to have poor academic outcomes
and need support services to enhance
their potential of success. Engaging in
conversations about the barriers a
student might have, can help them
achieve personal growth. It Is through
personal growth and identity that
students can perform academically,
which reflects their overall potential.
Students with disabilities and first
generation attending college are often
facing the same barriers as students
from low SES. (Walker, 2014)
How SES affects
Academic Performance
Poor families do not always have the means
to engage their children in learning about
culture and reading books with a wide variety
of vocabulary. Those that are rich have an
advantage of giving their children a well-
rounded education. Those in poverty often
suffer hardships, marital conflicts, daily stress-
ors, and children are categorized at an early
age based on their performance. This is why it
is important to have student support services!
Not only does it help an individual through
personal growth but, it can also take someone
that is in the working class and allow them to
move up in status towards higher paying jobs.
For first generation college students, this can
affect their children and the possibility of
changing their SES for the rest of the genera-
tions to come. (Lam, 2014)
Through a large study, it was found that many of the
LSES individuals reported using disability and coun-
seling services. Other barriers included financial,
computer technology, health, and study skills. Some
students felt like they didn’t fit in at college because
they thought most students were upper class and
struggled with connecting to other students. Student
support services can bring together those students by
creating social events and this can help decrease the
amount of dropouts. (Tones, 2009)