Georgia TRIO programs still waiting on federal money as deadline nears. What’s at risk?

With just days remaining before a Sept. 30 deadline, congressionally appropriated TRIO program funding is slowly trickling out to Georgia higher education institutions, but more than $2 million statewide remains in limbo, jeopardizing support for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students.

As of Thursday at noon, about $272,000 was still pending for Middle Georgia’s TRIO funds, with funding for the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Fort Valley State University among the allocations yet to arrive. Across Georgia, the total outstanding amount hovers around $2.2 million, according to Juawn Jackson, president of the Georgia Association of Special Programs Personnel.

Jackson said the statewide figure is fluid as funds are gradually released.

Federal funding delays — totaling $660 million nationally — have affected essential TRIO services such as college readiness, mentoring and financial aid assistance. In Georgia, $33 million was allocated out of $1.19 billion nationwide, with $6.2 million intended for Middle Georgia TRIO programs, Jackson said.

There are six McNair programs throughout Georgia, including one at Fort Valley State University. The McNair Program is one of eight TRIO initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Its goal, Jackson said, is to increase the attainment of research doctorates by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Of Georgia’s $33 million allocation, $6.2 million supports TRIO programs in Middle Georgia — funding services for middle and high school students, college students and adult learners. Macon-Bibb County stands to receive $4 million, Peach County $1.3 million, Lawrence County $587,000 and Baldwin County $288,000, according to Jackson.

This money supports pre-collegiate programs such as Upward Bound and Talent Search, which help middle and high school students prepare for college and careers. But the money also supports collegiate programs such as Student Support Services and the McNair Program, which assist first-generation and low-income college students, Jackson said.

The programs provide college and career field trips, test prep, financial aid assistance and career guidance, Jackson added.

Jackson, former president of the Bibb County Board of Education, said the economic impact of TRIO programs is substantial, helping stimulate ambition and creating a skilled workforce for students in Macon.

“Federal TRIO programs just makes the American Dream attainable for every family,” Jackson told The Telegraph. “So, when we think about the work that our schools are doing each and every day, supplemental co-curricular services such as Federal TRIO programs really help to reinforce what’s happening each and every day in our classrooms.”

“It is very imperative that this funding is released before October 1, or we’re going to many of these students not be able to benefit from these services, as well as potentially see layoffs in our federal career programs across our state,” he added.

What does a lack of TRIO funding mean?

According to the Council for Opportunity in Education, the funding freeze threatens roughly 650,000 college and high school students nationwide, who risk losing access to advising, financial aid and college application support.

Without released funds, programs could shut down Oct. 1, leaving students without mentoring, graduate school support or research stipends.

The U.S. Department of Education’s “failure to issue grant award notifications on time and its sudden cancellation of TRIO grants have forced many institutions to scale back or even halt services, while TRIO staff are experiencing layoffs and being put on furlough,” Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, said in a statement Sept. 17.

Further threats emerged with the White House’s “skinny budget” proposal, which called for the elimination of TRIO and English language acquisition programs for K-12 and college students.

Jackson said the specific impact of funding cuts would vary by institution.

“Every college and agency here in Georgia that has TRIO programs will have to decide for themselves what the next steps will be,” he said. “But again, these agencies will have to make some very hard decisions about what’s next for these services that are desperately needed by these students.”

Fort Valley State University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., co-led a bipartisan group of 34 senators in urging federal officials to release TRIO money immediately. Their letter notes the programs help about 870,000 students prepare for, enter and graduate from college annually, and have produced more than 6 million graduates since 1964.

“We are deeply concerned that a further delay in award notifications will result in irreversible damage to our students, families, and communities, as many rely on the vital programs and services provided by TRIO programs,” the senators wrote.

Georgia TRIO led a virtual McNair Day of Action event Tuesday to advocate for the release of federal funds that support disadvantaged students pursuing higher education.

Jackson called on the public to continue contacting their congressional representatives and putting additional pressure on the USDE to release remaining funds.

Jackson said he is proud to announce that the advocacy is working, as pending grants have been rolling in this week, but the clock is ticking.

The remaining funds of the $6.2 million allocated for Central Georgia went from $1.1 million Thursday afternoon to $267,000 Friday afternoon, according to Jackson.

“Knowing that we have 12 days left in this month, we’re seeing our efforts work. The department has started to release the funding to our different institutions and agencies across central Georgia,” Jackson said. “So again, it’s imperative that we get that released by October 1 so we can prevent the loss of services to our students and to prevent layoffs.”

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 2:59 PM.