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Eligibility Criteria

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Eligibility Criteria

Students Who Apply To Become A Part Of The TRIO SSS Program Must Be:

A U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident, as defined below:

  • US Citizen
  • US National (includes natives of American Somoa or Swain's Island)
  • Permanent Resident (U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C)
  • Eligible Non-Citizen (Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service) Learn more details of Eligible Non-Citizens Status please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
  • Not eligible are holders of student visas (F1, F2, J1, and J-2 Visas)
  • Students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment at Texas A&M University-Texarkana

TRIO Participants Must Meet At Least ONE Of The Following Eligibility Criteria:

First-Generation Criteria

To qualify as "first-generation" for the SSS program a first-generation college student means:

  1. Neither your natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate four year degree;
  2. Prior to the age of 18, you regularly resided with and received support from only one parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate four-year degree; or
  3. Prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or adoptive parent.
    • Foster care youth means youth who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system
    • Homeless children and youth means persons defined in section 725 of the Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 1143a)

Low-Income Guidelines Criteria

The official Low-Income guidelines are updated at the end of January annually. You can view the most recent chart at the Department of Education here.

Find the size of your family in the chart, using your most recent tax return, to determine if your family's taxable income fell at or below the figure in the next column,

(taxable income can be found on tax forms 1040 & 1040S-SR line 11b).

Documented Disability Criteria

If a student has a documented (physical or learning) disability, as defined by section 504/ADA, they may be eligible for the SSS program. 

Participants who have a documented disability must provide verification, from the Office of Student Life, of their Disability Accommodation, if they are seeking SSS services.

For information on Disability Services, please visit here.