TRIO Student Support Services

Our physical office in 425 Smith Memorial Student Union building is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. We will continue to have our Zoom virtual front desk which will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Current Portland State TRIO - Student Support Services students: Need to contact or schedule a meeting with your advisor? Go to Staff Profiles.

For all other meetings or questions; please call 503-725-3815, visit our Zoom virtual front desk, email us at triosss@pdx.edu or visit our Contact Us page.

TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a college retention and graduation program for undergraduate students, which helps them develop the academic skills and personal development necessary to successfully pursue and complete their first Bachelor's degree. We currently have two TRIO - SSS programs - "Classic" and "STEM" (for those in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math majors, including Public Health Studies). Students accepted into TRIO Student Support Services will be a part of the program until they graduate from Portland State.

To qualify, a student must be an undergraduate who is income eligible, a first generation college student (neither parent or guardian has a bachelor’s degree) and/or have a documented disability. In addition, a student must also demonstrate academic need. We only have limited spaces each academic year, so please turn in your completed application as soon as possible.

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TRIO Student Support Services assists students to

Strengthen academic skills necessary for college level course work through classes and workshops
Connect with cultural and social enrichment activities to find a sense of community
Improve and maintain the grade point average necessary to achieve academic goals
Graduate with a Bachelor’s degree

TRIO Student Support Services can provide you the following services

Academic and career advising
Priority class registration for the following term
Graduate and professional school counseling
Financial Literacy such as loan forgiveness, financial aid application and managing personal budgets
Access to our student lounge and quiet study areas
FREE printing in our computer lab
Laptop and calculator loaner programs
Individual writing support
For credit classes to students at no charge such as a college writing class and from transition programs of Summer Bridge (incoming freshmen) and Transfer Bridge (incoming transfer students)
Scholarship resources and assistance
Make appropriate referrals to campus and community resources

What is TRIO?

Our nation has asserted a commitment to providing educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, and ethnic background or economic circumstance. In support of this commitment, Congress established a series of programs to help low-income Americans enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life. These programs are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are referred to as the TRiO Programs (initially just 3 programs). While student financial aid programs help students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRiO programs help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.

Our Mission

The mission of TRIO programs is to expand educational opportunity to persons often underrepresented in higher education, increase the retention and graduation rates of eligible low income, first generation and disabled undergraduate students and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success for those students through comprehensive services and advocacy.

Student of the Month: David Nguyen

My name is David Nguyen (he/him), and I’m currently in my final year at Portland State University majoring in General Science. I am excited to be one of the Peer Outreach Mentors with TRIO Student Support Services and hope to meet and engage with students this school year. You can find me at the Robertson Life Science Building (RLSB) by the waterfront Monday through Friday. As of currently, I am in the process of applying to Oregon State University’s Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D) program, so fingers crossed I will get to stay in Portland for another couple of years. Though my education is based solely on STEM, I do not particularly enjoy it all too much. I would say I tolerate it if anything. If money was not a factor, I see myself studying the Humanities and likely becoming a teacher. But for now, I have my eyes set on becoming a Clinical Pharmacist. I am also interested in potentially working for the CDC or FDA to oversee drug trials and establish safety guidelines for medication use. When I am not stressing about cells and Chemistry, I enjoy scrolling through TikToks and watching random YouTube videos that pop up on my recommended page. I have also been loving the outdoors as of recently, especially taking day trips to the beach or an unexplored place. I mainly do it for the photos, most of which are of myself, but also for the memories of the adventure. I like to live my life as adventurously as I can before the opportunities become limited. There are no guarantees in life, so I try to live to the fullest like time is running out. I look forward to interacting with our students this upcoming academic year. Feel free to reach out for anything, especially if you need some help completing the dreaded PharmCAS application. It is tricky, and it is always good to have a second pair of eyes.

TRIO -  Student Support Services (SSS) programs, "Classic' & "STEM" at Portland State University are 100% US Department of Education funded. "Classic" receives $426,814 and "STEM" receives $261,888 for a total of $688,702 annually. Our goals are to increase the retention, graduation, and good academic standing of eligible students.