The TRIO Student Support Services program tracks data to follow how well we are achieving our outcome objectives displayed in the “Goals and Learning Outcomes” tab below. The Program uses this data to target and improve activities in achieving these goals. Our goals support other strategic goals within the USU Center for Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence and the Division of Student Success.
Mission Statement
TRIO Student Support Services seeks to support disadvantaged students who have potential to meet the challenges of higher education by strengthening and developing their academic and self-management skills. Its focus is to insure that participants in the program have a realistic chance to persist in school and graduate from Utah State University. To accomplish these objectives TRIO Student Support Services provides services to enhance students' academic success, personal skills, and social skills. Providing services in these areas corresponds to the University's mission to support students' intellectual development, personal growth, and community advancement.
Vision Statement
The USU TRIO Student Support Services will be an exemplary TRIO program for its best practices in serving disadvantaged students by providing "holistic and integrated services" at Utah State University, the state of Utah, and the region.
Goals and Learning Outcomes:
Grant Cycle: Fall Semester 2025 - Spring Semester 2030
To implement the program's aims as outlined in its mission statement, the Utah State University TRIO Student Support Services program focuses on five major goals:
- Recruit eligible students who meet federal low income, disability, and/or first generation guidelines.
- Increase the retention of disadvantaged students in the University.
- Increase the academic success of disadvantaged students by increasing their GPA.
- Increase the number and percent of disadvantaged students who graduate from the University.
- Increase the number and percent of disadvantaged students who pursue graduate or professional schooling.
Each goal is evaluated against objectives established in the Utah State University TRIO Student Support Services approved grant proposal (2025-2030).
- Objective I – Serve a complete cohort of participants:
- The TRIO SSS Project will serve 196 first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students currently enrolled at the USU Logan main campus.
- Objective II - Persistence (Retention) Rate:
- 75% of all participants served by the TRIO SSS Project will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next year or graduate.
- Objective III - Good Academic Standing Rate (GPA):
- 92% of all enrolled participants served by the TRIO SSS Project will meet the GPA performance level required to stay in good academic standing at the grantee institution.
- Objective IV - Graduation Rate:
- 43% of new participants served each year will graduate within six years.
Department and Division Goals
TRIO SSS goals support strategic goals within the USU Center for Academic Belonging & Learning Excellence under the Division of Student Success.
| Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence Goals | Student Success Strategic Goals, AY 2025-2026 |
|---|---|
|
Expand the reach and impact of Learning Excellence Programs Develop sustainable delivery models, leveraging technology, and enhancing training pipelines to support broader student engagement across all USU campuses and delivery methods. |
Establish a Strong Division Identity Cultivate a clear culture, identity, and set of standards for the Division of Student Success to unify efforts to provide students with a consistent, high-quality experience across all services. |
|
Secure sustainable sponsorship and funding Enhance and expand the Aggie First Scholars Peer Mentor Program, ensuring continued support for first-generation students through high impact mentoring relationships, leading to closing the 10% retention gap between first-generation students and the overall USU retention rate. |
Increase Timely Graduation through Full-Time Enrollment and Proactive Academic Planning Equip students with clear registration information, proactive outreach, and targeted courses—such as career exploration and Habits of Mind—to help them maintain a full course load, achieve academic success, and progress toward timely degree completion. |
|
Utilize technology to provide early intervention for at-risk students Improve both their academic belonging and learning excellence through properly connecting students to specialized learning communities and habits of mind courses. |
Improve the Student Employment Experience Provide consistent and high-quality training for student employees and their supervisors within the division. |
|
Enhance Student Success Technology Identify, evaluate, and implement technology solutions that enhance student success and operational efficiency through the identification of at-risk students. |
|
|
Advance Departmental Priorities Support top departmental goals through collaborative planning, resource alignment, and continuous assessment. Ensure each department contributes meaningfully to division-wide success. |
Assessment Plan/Matrix
| Goals (Objectives and Learning Outcomes) |
Assessment Tool (Criteria) |
Data Source Documentation |
Timeline | Responsible Persons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Cohort: The Project will serve 196 first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students currently enrolled at the USU Logan main campus. | Count of current number of active participants | Enrollment status and eligibility documentation verified at the time new participants admitted to the project. | Per school year (fall and spring semesters) | Project Director, Staff Assistant |
| Persistence Rate: 75% of participants will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year during the academic year. |
Enrollment status during USU's 3rd week census. | Review census and compare to previous Fall Semester. Participants enrolled both terms counted. | Each Fall Semester | Project Director, Staff Assistant |
| Academic Standing: 92% of participants will meet the performance level required to stay in good academic standing. |
GPA from USU transcript. | Review of transcript and enter in Blumen. | Each semester. | Project Director, Staff Assistant |
| Graduation Rate: 43% of new participants served each year will graduate within six years. |
Graduation date posted on transcript. | Review transcript each semester to note date of graduation and degree and enter in Blumen. | Transcript review each semester. | Project Director, Academic Advisor, Staff Assistant |
Outcomes Data
| TRIO SSS Goals | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Complete Cohort: | 206 (out of 196) | 202 (out of 196) | 205 (out of 196) | 196 (out of 196) | 196 (out of 196) | 198 ( out of 196) | 202 (out of 196) |
| 2. Persistence Rate: | 84% (objective: 70%) | 81% (objective: 70%) | 85% (objective: 70%) | 82% (objective: 80%) | 81% (objective: 80%) | 79% (objective: 80% | 86% (objective: 80%) |
| 3. In Good Academic Standing: |
83% (objective: 65%) | 87% (objective: 65%) | 95% (objective: 65%) | 87% (objective: 84%) | 90% (objective: 84%) | 95% (objective: 84%) | 94% (objective: 84%) |
| 4. Graduation Rate: | 48% (2012-13 cohort)(objective: 45%) |
58% (2013-14 Cohort) (objective: 45%) |
45% (2014-15 cohort) (objective: 45%) |
57% (2015-16 cohort) (objective: 40%) |
53% (2016-17 Cohort) (objective: 40%) |
54% (2017-18 Cohort) (objective: 40%) |
52% (2019-2020 Cohort) (objective 40%) |
Longitudinal Report - 2022-2023
| Student Category | Good Academic Standing Rate |
Persistence Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible Students | 83% | 64% | 32% |
| Non-Eligible Students | 96% | 82% | 54% |
| TRIO SSS Students | 95% | 79% | 54% |
2017-2018 Cohort - Went on to Grad School
| Eligible Students | Non-Eligible Students | TRIO SSS Students |
|---|---|---|
| 21% | 29% | 32% |
Continuous Improvement
In addition to tracking learning outcomes data for the main program objectives, TRIO Student Support Services conducts an annual survey to assess participant satisfaction with the program. Based on this feedback, program services can be adjusted to meet participant needs.
2024-2025 TRIO Student Satisfaction Survey
2023-2024 TRIO Student Satisfaction Survey
2022-2023 TRIO Student Satisfaction Survey
2021-2022 TRIO Student Satisfaction Survey
Supporting Documents
Originally established in 1968, the national TRIO Student Support Services program has been operating under several reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act. The current USU TRIO Student Support Services grant project, serving students on the USU Logan Campus continuously since 1988, operates under the most recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of Aug. 14, 2008, (now called the Higher Education Opportunity Act or HEOA). Read the TRIO Section of the HEOA (20 USC Chapter 28, Subchapter IV Part A, §1070