About Us

The term “TRiO” refers to the collection of seven different federal programs created by the U.S. government to help Americans overcome social and economic barriers to higher education. The term was originally coined in the 1960s to refer to the first three educational opportunity programs to emerge from President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. Over the years, TRiO has expanded to include Student Success Services, Talent Search, Upward Bound, Veterans Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

Peru State College houses one TRiO program on-campus — Student Success Services (SSS). While the other TRiO programs help students prepare for college or pursue graduate degrees, SSS specifically aids undergraduate college students to persist in their studies and continue to graduation.

Peru State’s SSS project serves approximately 230 students at any given time and is funded at a rate of $330,965 per year. Participants are selected based on federal eligibility criteria. To learn more about how to join Peru State’s SSS program, please visit How to Join SSS.

Participant Expectations
SSS participants are expected to meet with an SSS staff member every semester and to complete an annual Survey of Educational Progress (SEP).  The SEP form can be completed in the SSS office or online at this link.