The history of TRIO is progressive. It began with Upward Bound, which emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the administration's War on Poverty. In 1965, Talent Search, the second outreach program, was created as part of the Higher Education Act. In 1968, Student Support Services, which was originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged Students, was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments and became the third in a series of educational opportunity programs. By the late 1960's, the term "TRIO" was coined to describe these federal programs. There are approximately 1,340 Trio Programs in operation nationwide at more than 850 public and private colleges and universities, and at 80 community agencies. Over the years, the TRIO Programs have been expanded and improved to provide a wider range of services and to reach more students who need assistance.
