The name TRIO comes from the fact that there were originally three programs, but with revisions to the act, TRIO now encompasses over half a dozen programs including Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, Veterans Upward Bound and Student Support Services.
Notable alumni of the TRIO programs include Oprah Winfrey, John Quiñones, Angela Bassett, Franklin Chang-Diaz, José M. Hernández, Donna Brazile, Patrick Ewing, Henry Bonilla, and Viola Davis.
[7] Higher education institutions admit participants into their program who are "college students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have demonstrated strong academic potential.
The remaining percentage of participants can be from racial and ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate study.
[3] McNair participants have also been shown to enroll in graduate programs at a higher rate than other first-generation, low-income students across the country.