In North Texas, we believe that\u00a0hard work\u00a0opens doors. For thousands of students and families\u00a0in our communities, that door has a name: TRIO.<\/p>\n
TRIO programs are\u00a0federally funded education access programs that serve tens of thousands\u00a0of\u00a0at-risk youth and adults across the United States. These programs have long served as a\u00a0lifeline for\u00a0first-generation college students, low-income families and individuals working to\u00a0rebuild their lives through education pathways. Now, proposed changes threaten to dismantle\u00a0that support system in ways that would be felt across North Texas.<\/p>\n
Recent actions by the U.S. Department of Education could fundamentally reshape \u2014 and\u00a0potentially\u00a0weaken\u00a0\u2014\u00a0TRIO programs as we know them.\u00a0Some proposals are considering shifting\u00a0TRIO\u00a0into\u00a0block\u00a0grants for states,\u00a0which\u00a0would offer less predictability and fewer protections for\u00a0community-based programs.<\/p>\n
When funding becomes uncertain, programs shrink. When programs shrink, access disappears. And when access disappears, opportunity doesn\u2019t just pause \u2014 it vanishes for the very people who need it most.<\/p>\n
TRIO programs are designed to fight poverty, which in Texas is still significant. According to the\u00a0U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>, 13.4% of Texans \u2014 more than 4.1 million people\u00a0\u2014\u00a0were living in poverty\u00a0in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n If most jobs require education beyond high school, but most adults\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have it, something\u00a0has to\u00a0give.\u00a0And if you want to fight poverty in Texas, we need an educated\u00a0workforce. This is exactly where TRIO programs step in.<\/p>\n At Opportunity Resource Services, the nonprofit I lead, TRIO programs helped serve 3,393 first-generation\u00a0college students last year by providing college and career advising,\u00a0completing\u00a0the\u00a0Free Application for Federal Student Aid\u00a0(FAFSA), submitting college applications, applying for scholarships and enrolling individuals into trade programs, community colleges and universities. Those efforts translated into over $11 million in educational financial aid secured for North Texas families.<\/p>\n TRIO is all about the student who becomes the first in their families to step onto a college campus. The working adult who earns a credential and moves into a stable career. The formerly incarcerated person who ends the cycle of crime and builds a future instead. These individuals don\u2019t want a handout; they are taking advantage of a much needed hand-up through TRIO.<\/p>\n And\u00a0here\u2019s\u00a0something we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0talk about enough:\u00a0Education\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0just open doors \u2014 it\u00a0pays\u00a0back substantially.\u00a0According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, weekly earnings increase\u00a0significantly with each level of educational attainment\u00a0\u2014 associate, bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s, doctoral degrees \u2014\u00a0while at the same time unemployment rates decrease<\/p>\n In other words, the more you learn, the more you earn, and the less likely you are to be out of work. Over the course of your life, these realities make a huge difference to your pocketbook, your family and your community.<\/p>\n The Council for Opportunity in Education has warned that with these proposed policy changes as many as\u00a0two-thirds of current programs<\/a>\u00a0held by community-based nonprofits,\u00a0universities\u00a0and community colleges could lose funding.\u00a0The funds could be reallocated to\u00a0state bureaucracies, which\u00a0critics see as less efficient.\u00a0All this despite Congress\u2019s support of\u00a0TRIO programs as they are currently structured, having recently\u00a0reauthorized funding\u00a0for\u00a0the programs in the\u00a02026 Appropriations Bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n As Texans, if we\u2019re serious about workforce development, economic growth and reducing poverty,\u00a0eliminating\u00a0proven pathways to affordable education beyond high\u00a0school\u00a0is a\u00a0dumbfounding\u00a0way to show it. You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0build stronger communities and a stronger workforce by reducing\u00a0access and support for those working hard to improve their lives.<\/p>\n The good news is that this is not a done deal. Congress has stepped in before to course correct when federal policymakers\u2019 actions threatened access to education. They can do it again but only if they hear from the communities affected. That means now is the time for local leaders, educators, business\u00a0owners\u00a0and\u00a0residents to speak up.\u00a0Let\u00a0your representatives\u00a0know<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0North Texas values educational\u00a0opportunity\u00a0as a policy priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n I often remind myself that success is never a straight line. Behind every statistic is a story of someone working hard to prove that where you start does not determine where you finish.<\/p>\n Dustin Phillips is co-founder and CEO of Opportunity Resource Services, a\u00a0nonprofit\u00a0based in Cleburne,\u00a0dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty by providing educational access to underserved individuals.<\/p>\n Have\u00a0thoughts\u00a0about this?\u00a0Send a letter to the editor\u00a0using our letters form<\/a>\u00a0or email\u00a0letters@dallasnews.com<\/a>. Letters should be no more than 200 words and include the first and last name of the writer and city of residence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In North Texas, we believe that\u00a0hard work\u00a0opens doors. 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