Unforgetting College Access: TRIO Programs and the Preparation of First-Generation Women of Color

• In Event: A College and Career Nexus That Promotes Access for All Marginalized Students

Abstract

This study systematically reviewed 20 empirical sources to examine how federally funded TRIO programs have historically supported first-generation women of color (FGWoC) in their high school and academic preparation for college. The findings emphasize how TRIO programs served as surrogate support systems, providing tutoring, college exposure, and summer programming that helped participants gain “college knowledge,” academic skills, and confidence. By illuminating these stories, the study engages in “intentional collective planning and future making,” because it centers the longstanding educational advocacy of nondominant communities and calls for equity-oriented, future-facing educational policies and research that are informed by the past and committed to transformative outcomes.

Author

• Aminah Crawford, Texas A&M University