SSS TRIO Program Eligibility & Application 

The government sets eligibility requirements for all federally funded grants, including those offered by the Department of Education, such as the Student Support Services (SSS) TRIO Program. Students must meet both the primary and secondary requirements outlined below. 


Primary Requirements

Participants must meet all three of the requirements below. 

  1. Is a citizen or national of the United States or meets the residency requirements for Federal student financial assistance. 
  2. Is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in the next academic term at The University of Alabama.
  3. Has a need for academic support, as determined by The University of Alabama, in order to pursue successfully a postsecondary educational program. Students meeting one or more of the following conditions meet this requirement: 
    • Admitted as part of the Crimson EDGE program. 
    • High school GPA below 3.0. 
    • ACT composite or any sub-score below 21. 
    • SAT Verbal or Math score below 460. 
    • UA Math placement in MATH 005 or MATH 100. 
    • Currently has failing grades in one or more courses. 
    • Returning adult student (beginning college at age 23 or older). 
    • Majoring in underrepresented, highly demanding and rigorous majors such as engineering, math, nursing, accounting, pre-med/biology or pre-pharmacy. 
    • Lacks academic preparedness for college-level coursework. 
    • Needs help in determining career or educational goals. 
    • Has need for support to raise grades in major or required courses. 
    • Is in danger of losing a scholarship due to academic performance. 

Secondary Requirements

In addition to meeting all three of the above requirement, participants must also meet at least one of the following requirements: 

  1. From a limited-income household – Guidelines are determined by the number of family members living in your household and the household taxable income amount from the year prior to application to SSS. 
  2. Is first generation college student – From the household in which you primarily grew up, neither parent or legal guardian has completed a bachelor’s degree. 
  3. An individual with a disability – To facilitate the documentation of disabilities for the program, students are encouraged to register with the Office of Disability Services