Congresswoman Gwen Moore Fights to Protect TRIO Programs, Pushes Trump Administration to Release Grant Notifications for TRIO Programs Across the Country

Congresswoman Gwen Moore Fights to Protect TRIO Programs, Pushes Trump Administration to Release Grant Notifications for TRIO Programs Across the Country

In the letter, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, co-chair of the TRIO Caucus and a TRIO alum, called for President Trump, Department of Education Secretary McMahon, and Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Vought to release award notifications for certain TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, Veteran Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Educational Opportunity Center programs. President Trump has also proposed eliminating funding for TRIO in his FY 2026 budget, a proposal that Congresswoman Moore has led the efforts to oppose.

TRIO programs -which helped nearly 900,000 students in 2024--have already faced financial burden from this delay, with some already cutting TRIO staff and services. Additionally, program administrators were encouraged to spend down their TRIO funding, which has added financial strain and uncertainty to these programs. Congresswoman Moore is calling for these grant notifications to be sent immediately.

"TRIO serves college students who may not otherwise have academic support, helping them enter and succeed in college. It's one of the reasons this program has found bipartisan support.

I wouldn't be in Congress without TRIO.

That is why I am calling on the Trump administration to end the uncertainty around funding Congress has already appropriated and notify TRIO grant recipients now. Veterans, first-generation students and low-income students who depend on TRIO are already suffering from this Administration's chaos. It will only worsen if grant notifications continue being delayed," said Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

The Members wrote: "The data proves that TRIO works. Since its inception in 1964, TRIO has produced over 6 million college graduates. This, in turn, leads to higher rates of college completion, employment, and compensation for TRIO graduates, a boon to local economies as program participants are transformed into taxpayers who help their communities thrive. Students in Upward Bound, for example, are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than other students from some of the United States' poorest households.^[1] Similarly, Veterans Upward Bound participants are 42% more likely than their peers to earn a bachelor's degree within six years.^[2] We must do what we can to support our low-income, first-generation, veteran, and disabled students, which means supporting federal TRIO programs and the students who benefit from them."

"We are concerned that TRIO programs nationwide will experience an unnecessary and increased burden if they do not receive notification immediately. The delayed delivery of notifications for the June 1 Upward Bound and Student Support Services programs, for example, has already increased strain on program administrators and, more importantly, students."

"By delaying notification of these grant awards and funding amounts, programs have already been forced to make difficult decisions, including laying off staff or scaling back services. This has a direct impact on the timeliness and quality of TRIO services, and it may result in students losing access to the help they need to succeed in college."

The Members called for action, writing: "Therefore, we respectfully urge you to send all TRIO grant award notifications immediately."

Read the full text of the letter here.