UNC Asheville has received a $1.3 million federal TRIO grant for the first time in the university’s history.
The grant - which will be disbursed over a five-year period - aims to support students who are first-generation, low-income, or who have disabilities.
First established in the 1960s, the federally funded program originated with three programs: Upward Bound (UB), Talent Search (TS), and Student Support Services (SSS). The TRIO name itself was born when the Higher Education Act of 1965 was amended in 1968. It has since expanded to nine programs, seven of which provide direct services to students.
In 2022, over half of the UNCA’s students met one or more of the program’s eligibility criteria, according to Regine Criser, assistant provost of Student Success and Engagement at the university.
“This grant really helps us to provide this targeted, holistic support for the specific group of students who we know face different barriers than some other students on campus,” Criser said. “This additional support will be helpful to actually graduate and have an impactful, successful experience on campus.”
In addition, the grant will also help UNCA establish a TRIO SSS program on campus by Spring of 2026. It will support 140 students every semester, but Criser acknowledges that the need is greater.
“Of course, we don't only have 140 first-generation, low-income, or students with disabilities on campus,” Criser said. “Students will be invited to apply for the program. There will be a review and selection process. It really allows us to expand and deepen some of this work that we are already doing.”
UNCA will also hire a TRIO program director and a TRIO academic success coach using the grant money.
Western Carolina University has also received two TRIO grants worth a combined $2.8 million.
The grants - which are each $1.4 million - will be disbursed over the next five years to the university's Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) and the Office of Student Retention (OSR).
“The students with disabilities and students who are first generation, students who are low income, they really have extra challenges when it comes to finishing college and then moving on to what's next after college,” Wesley Satterwhite, director of the Office of Accessibility Resources told BPR. “ This is just an awesome opportunity for us to provide that extra support to help those students.”
Out of the 11,845 students enrolled in the fall 2025 semester at Western, 34% of undergraduates are first-generation, 37% of undergraduates are considered low income, and 12% of the overall student population self-identify as having disabilities, according to university officials.
The grant for OSR aims to support STEM students who are first-gen and low-income, while OAR intends to support 100 eligible students annually in the TRIO Disabled Student Support Services program.
A large portion of the money will go towards hiring personnel for each of the programs and also for providing cultural or academic enrichment experiences, like college visits and educational supplies.
