TRIO Student Support Services

Staff are accessible via email, phone, and through virtual meetings using Blackboard Collaborate and MS Teams. Applications are currently only available online.

93% of TRIO students returned in 2022-2023 or graduated

Navigate the academic and non-academic parts of college life

78% of TRIO students were first generation college students in 2023

Find a place to belong in the TRIO community

80% of TRIO students were in good academic standing in 2022-2023

Build career competencies valued by employers

"TRIO has given me a sense of support that I would have never had before. Being a first generation college student there is a lot I would have never known if it wasn't for TRIO. There has been a lot of people who have come into my life because of TRIO"
— TRIO Student, 2019

Purpose

We promote independence and provide opportunities to develop leadership skills. TRIO SSS is how you get involved on campus and be your own person. Support IS our middle name.

TRIO SSS is a community, a place where friends gather to support each other on their shared journey towards a college degree.

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About TRIO

Commonly known as the TRIO program, TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) has a 20+ year history of keeping students in college to graduate from The University of Toledo. We specialize in working with students who will reach their goals by partnering with an office dedicated to their unique strengths and needs.

We promote independence and provide opportunities to develop leadership skills. TRIO SSS is a way to get involved on campus and be your own person. Being in TRIO SSS means you want to have the easiest and most fun college experience that you can.

Our students choose TRIO SSS. In turn, we select motivated UToledo students enrolled full-time in a bachelor degree program who received full Pell grant, whose parents do not have a four-year degree, and/or have an identified disability.

For more information, call 419.530.3848 or email triosss@utoledo.edu. To learn more about eligibility and the application process, visit our application process page.

The TRIO programs were created to help students overcome the social barriers associated with higher education as a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Through various legislation, a “TRIO” of programs including Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services (founded as Special Support for Disadvantaged Students) were founded. There are now eight programs associated with the TRIO program actively helping students, from middle school to college, achieve their educational goals. TRIO SSS began at UToledo in Fall 2001. Our selective program has supported more than 450 students toward a baccalaureate degree. One third of those graduates have begun graduate programs across the region. For more history on the TRIO Programs click here.

Nearly 66% of undergraduate UToledo students are the first in their families to pursue a 4-year degree. Our students and their siblings are figuring out college as they attend without the traditional advice and prepping from their parents. Knowing how college works, understanding deadlines and how to adapt learning styles are just a few of the skills needed to become a successful student.

More than half of UToledo students receive some form of federal financial aid (Source) or are low-income based on federal guidelines. We work with students who receive full Pell grant to support them in navigating college with limited financial resources, explaining financial aid and educating all students in money management matters. Financial aid is just one component of attending college.

Students with disabilities may experience known and invisible challenges to being a college student. TRIO SSS appreciates the skills, goals and needs of every student. The University of Toledo provides reasonable accommodations through the Office of Accessibility and Disability Resources to ensure equal access to a college degree.

Any student who has been approved by the Rocket Solution Central/Financial Aid as homeless or aged out of foster care are considered first-generation students regardless of parental education. Balancing school work and other responsibilities, identifying support systems and managing goals are challenges for independent students.

TRIO SSS extends its support and resources to our veteran students who face unique challenges while attending classes. Our Veteran students served more than 180 days of active duty. For more information on military services at The University of Toledo, visit the Military Service Center.