Senator Collins Meets with Maine TRIO Leadership

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Co-Chair of the Congressional TRIO Caucus, met virtually with TRIO leadership from the University of Maine System and a Maine TRIO alumnus.

“I met with Maine TRIO leaders and a Maine TRIO alumnus to discuss the ways in which these programs support low-income and first-generation students throughout our state,” said Senator Collins.  “I will continue to work to ensure that these important programs have the resources they need to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their dream of earning a college degree and unlock their full potential.”

Participants included Eric Pratt, Upward Bound STEM Coordinator, UMaine Farmington; Mary Sinclair, Student Services Coordinator, UMaine Farmington; Sam Prosser, Upward Bound Coordinator, USM; Steve Visco, Assistant Director, Educational Opportunity Center and Talent Search, UMaine; Terri Plummer, Director of TRIO Programs, USM; Nicole Nygren, Director of Student Support Services, Washington County Community College; and Ian McLean, a Maine TRIO alumnus.

Nationwide, TRIO programs help to ensure that underserved students have equal access to a college education and the support they need to prepare for, succeed in, and graduate from higher education. In an effort to strengthen the federal TRIO programs and improve their outreach to underserved youth, Senator Collins recently led a group of bipartisan colleagues in introducing the Educational Opportunity and Success Act.  The legislation would reauthorize the TRIO programs, eliminate several onerous and unnecessary requirements, and institute commonsense reforms to make it easier for educational institutions to reach students who would benefit from these programs.

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