TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federal grant program that was created to assist first-generation students, low-income students, and/or students with disabilities successfully complete their post-secondary education and graduate with a 4-year degree. 

To accomplish that, TRIO and its advisors work with students to address academic and personal obstacles in their journey to completing their first 4-year degree. We provide many academic services throughout the academic year, from tutoring to free computer lab and printer usage, as well as academic advising every semester. Our priority is improving the college retention and graduation rates among our participants, so each of our services is dedicated to supporting students throughout their college journey.

TRIO provides a host of academic services and support to our students. Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Academic Advising: Each TRIO student is assigned their own TRIO advisor, who often becomes the student's go-to for academic, financial, and personal questions. TRIO students are free to meet with their advisors as many times as needed over the course of the academic year, and they are not limited to a set amount of time or appointments spent discussing a particular concern. Advisors provide academic advising tailored to a student's individual challenges and needs, and in doing so, often build a more personal connection that students benefit greatly from.
• Book Loan Program: Thanks to generous donations, TRIO SSS has been able to offer this program since 2007. The Book Loan Program allows us to provide textbooks to active TRIO students who apply at the beginning of each semester. We attempt to provide each applicant with at least two textbooks. We also maintain a library of previously requested and used textbooks that are still recent and being used for classes on campus. Where possible, we loan out from our library. Any textbooks purchased during the semester will then be interred in our library after the semester ends, so we can loan them out to future students.
• Computer Lab: Our office hosts its own computer lab, where students can come to access any of our 6 desktops. Computer lab hours are the same as our general office hours, and the computer lab remains open during the summer semester. TRIO students also have access to a printer, which they can print off of for free.
• Free Tutoring: TRIO has its own Tutor Center, located in Aber Hall, Room 320. Here, students can work with one of our ten tutors. While the Tutor Center is predominately intended for helping tutor students in passing their required Math courses, tutors are employed on a variety of different subjects. In the past, these subjects have included Chemistry, Foreign Languages, Computer Science, and Economics. Tutor subjects vary from semester to semester, according to student needs. We also connect students with Study Jam opportunities and other tutoring institutions, such as The Writing Center.
• Food Pantry: In partnership with the UM Food Pantry, we maintain a small cabinet of non-perishable goods open to students. This service is both free and confidential. 
• Graduation Assistance: TRIO offers financial assistance to our graduating students, including a fee waiver for their graduation processing fees; free cap and gown rental; and a graduate school application fee waiver if the student is applying to the University of Montana to pursue a Master's or PhD Program.
• Peer Mentoring: TRIO students who are new to UM (predominately freshmen and sophomores) have the opportunity to benefit from a Peer Mentor. The Peer Mentor is typically an upperclassman TRIO student who, while supporting their mentee, also helps challenge them when necessary, and works with the new TRIO student to set realistic, achievable short-term and long-term goals.
• Technology Loan Program: Similar to our Book Loan Program, TRIO also offers a Technology Loan Program. Students can apply to the Tech Loan Program and borrow items like laptops and iPads (both limited supply), as well as graphing calculators and smart pens.
• TRIO Courses: We offer 4 tuition-free courses for TRIO students only, each taught by academic instructors and career coaches. These include a Learning Strategies course; a Freshmen Seminar; and a career-oriented workshop that builds research skills. You can read more about each of our courses here.

More information on each of our services, including the Loan Programs, is available on our dedicated Services page.

TRIO also works with many other offices on campus, including Financial Aid, American Indian Student Services, the Office for Disability and Equity (ODE), and the Undergraduate Advising Center, in order to connect TRIO students with the services they need. You can read a bit more about our partners and the services they provide on our Resources page.

Yes. TRIO's in-house services (academic advising, loan programs, TRIO tutoring, computer lab, etc.) are only offered to active TRIO students. However, where possible, we will redirect non-TRIO students to other offices and resources that may be able to serve them.

The Book Loan Program enables us to provide TRIO students who apply with some textbooks for their classes. Generally, we try to provide students with at least two of the textbooks they request. 

Whatever textbooks are purchased during the semester will then be interred into our textbook inventory after the semester ends, so future students can continue to use them, as long as the textbook (or that edition of the textbook) is still used by instructors. For this reason, the Book Loan Program cannot purchase textbook access codes for students, nor can it purchase digital copies of textbooks. 

Once priority applicants have been processed, our remaining textbook inventory is then open to all TRIO students. Textbooks are then returned 2 weeks before the end of the semester, with some flexibility for students who require their books up to the day of their Finals.

The Book Loan Program is open to active TRIO students, and typically launches a few weeks to a month before the beginning of a new semester. We process applications on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it's important to keep checking the TRIO webpage during your winter and summer breaks!

If a student fails to return their loaned books, they will be unable to apply for and receive future loans from both the Book Loan and the Technology Loan Program.

Similar to the Book Loan Program, the Technology Loan Program allows us to lend out some pieces of technology as equipment rentals. These include:

• Laptops
• iPads
• Graphing Calculators
• iClickers
• Smart Pens
• Voice Recorders

Please note that our available equipment is limited, particularly our laptops and iPads.

This program is open to active TRIO students only, and applications are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students accepted to the Technology Loan Program will sign a contract as part of their technology rental agreement.

If a student fails to return their loaned technology, they will be unable to apply for and receive future loans from both the Book Loan and the Technology Loan Program.

You can find the applications for each program linked on their respective pages:

• Book Loan Program
• Technology Loan Program

If you do not have access to a computer, we have hard copies of both applications available in the TRIO Office.

Once you've completed your Technology Loan application (or your Book Loan application, if it's a hard copy), you can either drop off your application to our front office, or email it to: 

• Book Loan Program: Courtney Bentz, triobookloans@umontana.edu 
• Technology Loan Program: Janet Zupan, janet.zupan@umontana.edu 

In order to be eligible for TRIO services, a student must meet at least one of the following qualifications: 

• First-Generation Student: Neither of your parents/guardians have earned a 4-year degree.
• Low-Income: Your family taxable income does not exceed 150% of the national poverty rate. You can view 2024's income guidelines here.
• Disabled: You have a documented learning, mental, physical, or psychological disability. 

Additionally, TRIO only serves students who are pursuing their first 4-year undergraduate degree. Students pursuing other degrees (e.g., Associate's, Master's), as well as non-degree seeking students, are not eligible for TRIO services.

Moreover, our grant allows us to only serve students enrolled in the mountain campus (i.e., the University of Montana) and not the Missoula College. You may take classes at the Missoula College and still be eligible for TRIO services, so long as your primary institution is the University of Montana, and you are pursuing a 4-year degree. Missoula College students are welcome to apply to TRIO if they are transferring to the University of Montana.

More information regarding student eligibility is available on our Eligibility page. 

You can find our application linked here! The application is a fillable PDF. You can complete it either digitally or by hand. If you do not have access to a computer, printed hard copies are always available in the TRIO Office, on the 3rd floor of Aber Hall.

We highly recommend visiting our Eligibility page before filling out the application to review the eligibility guidelines, as well as to view instructions on completing the Financial Information section of the application. 

Please note: You must be enrolled at the mountain campus (University of Montana) to apply to TRIO. 

Once finished, you can email your completed application to Courtney Bentz at courtney.bentz@umt.edu, or hand in your application to our front desk. We will notify you once we receive your application and update you on its status.

Unlike the FAFSA, which requires your or your parent(s)/guardian(s) tax information from two years ago, TRIO requires the family taxable income from the previous year's tax return (or the most recent tax return filed). This information is found on line 15 of the 1040 Tax Return form.

A signature is required to verify this information. For dependent students, your parent(s)/guardian(s) must sign this form.

For independent students, your own signature is sufficient to verify this information, and will simply go in the Parent Signature box.

When you file a FAFSA, you file either as: 

• A dependent student (claimed as a dependent by your parent(s)/guardian(s) on taxes); or,
• An independent student (unable to be claimed as a dependent).

Whichever status you filed under for FAFSA (dependent or independent), is the status you will use for the Financial Information section of TRIO's application.

Dependency status is determined by certain life circumstances and/or legal statuses. For independent students, these include, but are not limited to:

• Being a legally emancipated minor.
• Being a former foster care youth.
• Being 24 years old or older by January 1 of the school year.
• Being married or separated, but not divorced.
• Being a parent or guardian to children or other legal dependents, for whom you provide at least 50% of their financial support.
• Being a veteran or an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces.

You can find out more about dependency status on FAFSA's page, as well as fill out a checklist to determine your status. You can also contact UM's Financial Aid Office for further assistance.

If you've applied to TRIO and have been notified that you are on the waitlist, it means that we are currently serving at capacity. Our grant only allows us to serve a set amount of students in a given grant year. 

However, as current TRIO students graduate or leave college, new spots in the program open up. From there, we contact waitlisted students and extend offers to join TRIO. This process happens a few times throughout the academic year.

Waitlisted students are welcome to contact TRIO with any questions they have about being on the waitlist, as well as about any offices or resources we can help connect them with while they remain on the waitlist.

You are considered a first-generation student if neither of your parents/guardians have earned a 4-year degree before your 18th birthday. This is still true even if either of your parents/guardians completed some college courses or enrolled in college previously. As long as they did not graduate with a 4-year degree before your 18th birthday, you are still considered a first-generation college student.

Unfortunately, our TRIO grant does not allow us to serve Missoula College students. We can only serve students who are enrolled at the University of Montana.

If you are transferring from the Missoula College to the University of Montana, then you may be eligible for TRIO services. We welcome you to check out our Eligibility page and apply it that is the case.

Yes, but only if the campus you are enrolled in is the mountain campus (UM-Missoula). 

Our grant restricts our office to working with students enrolled at UM only. Students can take classes at the Missoula College, but their main/home institution must be the University of Montana.

Yes, as long as you have not earned your first undergraduate degree (i.e., a Bachelor's).

Unfortunately, we are unable to enroll post-baccalaureate and graduate students in TRIO. Only students working on their first undergraduate degree are eligible for TRIO services.