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NIC’s TRIO receives five-year grant renewal

North Idaho College’s TRIO Student Support Services program received a five-year renewal of its federal grant, continuing its long-standing support for first-generation college students, students with disabilities and those from low-income families.

The program serves 160 students each year and has now received renewed funding for the sixth time since 2001.

“We are thrilled to receive funding for another five years,” NIC TRIO Director Becky Cochran said. “Our students come to us with many challenges and barriers to success in college. They also come to us with grit, determination and passion. We feel honored to provide direction and support as they work toward their educational goals.”

TRIO services include academic advising, tutoring, peer mentoring, help adjusting to college life, financial literacy and transfer assistance. Students also receive referrals to community resources for housing, food insecurity, educational funding, and health and wellness. All services are free for eligible students.

In the 2023–24 academic year, 82% of TRIO students either stayed enrolled or graduated with a certificate or associate degree, a rate 30% higher than the national average. In 2024, 56% of participants graduated within four years. Cochran said many students report in their year-end evaluations that they would not have finished college without TRIO.

Terri Simmons, a returning adult student who earned her associate degree in 2023, said TRIO was a turning point in her life. Simmons started at NIC at 51 years old, working toward a degree in social work. After graduating from NIC, Simmons transferred to Lewis-Clark State College and graduated earlier this year. Simmons is now working toward a master’s degree from Idaho State University

“The support I received was invaluable,” Simmons said. “I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without TRIO.”

TRIO was the first national college access and retention program designed to address social and cultural barriers to education. The programs began in the 1960s when lawmakers believed students needed academic and personal support in addition to financial resources to be successful in college.

“TRIO programs have wide-reaching impacts,” Cochran said. “This work changes lives. When students earn their education, they change not only their own future, but also the future of their families and their communities.”

NIC’s TRIO program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under award P042A251425. Continued funding is subject to the annual federal budget process.