A nursing graduate shows off her diploma while wearing her TRIO Student Support Services sash after crossing the stage during commencement last May. UMSL has received a new $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will allow it to continue providing support, including tutoring and success coaching, to up to 140 students each year over the next five years. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis launched TRIO Student Support Services in 2020 to provide targeted tutoring, success coaching, financial literacy and other services to a broad number of students such as first-generation college students, students with disabilities and those from low-income backgrounds.
TRIO is one of the four departments in Student Outreach and Support, which works to implement strategies and practices that promote student achievement.
The university received a new U.S. Department of Education grant that will direct $1.3 million over five years to help TRIO continue its work supporting students as they progress toward their degrees.
“With the mission of UMSL as the public university here in St. Louis, we’re really reaching out to those populations for whom it can be a struggle to get into college, to persist in college and to actually get to graduation,” said Harry Harris, who has served as the TRIO director for the past two years.
Students get tips on meal planning during a workshop hosted by TRIO Student Support Services last November in the Millennium Student Center.
Up to 140 students each year will be able to receive one-on-one coaching and assistance connecting with other campus resources because of the new funding.
Harris said the list of participating students extends from 18-year-olds fresh out of high school to adults in their 60s working to finish their first degree. Some students are currently parents. Some might have started school, stopped to raise families, and are back again pursuing higher education.
No matter their background, qualifying students admitted into the program are immediately paired with one of TRIO’s success coaches, Taylor Jones and StarR Logan, who meet with them a minimum of three times a semester – at the beginning, middle and end – to understand and support their goals.
“Some of that is just, ‘Hey, how are you doing? How are the classes going? Let’s talk about some of these resources we have on campus that can help you,’” Harris said. “We talk to them about any scholarship opportunities, any sort of financial aid and networking that we know about.”
Some students choose to meet even more frequently and get guidance as they navigate their coursework along with any other challenges that could hinder their academic progress.
“We have some students who want to come in every other week or they want to come in every week,” Harris said. “They want their success coach to be able to help them look at what’s going on for the week, look at any pitfalls that might be coming up.”
The coaches are constantly consulting with colleagues in Student Financial Services and Academic Advising to identify available resources when a student faces an unexpected financial hardship or if they’re in need of extra help with a difficult course.
A lot of what the TRIO team does can be characterized as early intervention to address issues before they lead a student to drop out or stop making progress toward their degree. But Harris said the way his team establishes trust and builds connection with the students in the program is just as important.
“If those students are finding their place on campus, if they’re finding that home, if they’re finding their third space, they’re more likely to stay around,” he said. “They’re more likely to ask the questions that they may not feel comfortable asking of other people.”
TRIO Student Support Services also organizes a series of workshops – there are currently 12 on the calendar for the fall semester – students can attend that help promote good study skills, time management or other forms of personal growth and development.
Last year, Harris brought in a nutritionist who discussed ways to improve meal planning and build healthy eating habits. Each student received a set of prepping containers and recipes they could use to hopefully save money and avoid always eating less nutritious options on the go.
TRIO’s approach has been showing results. Harris said more than 90% of students who were part of the program at the start of the 2024-25 academic year remain enrolled for the fall semester. That’s on top of 13 TRIO students who completed their degrees either last fall or in the spring.
There are currently about 125 students – including roughly 20 first-time freshmen or transfer students – who have been admitted to TRIO this year, and Harris and the team continue to work with staff in the Office of Admissions, Disability Access Services, the UMSL Veterans Center and elsewhere to identify students who could benefit from participation.
