Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Advisors with small caseloads for highly personalized support

• You have an advisor who gets to provide high-quality advising because they only work with around 70 students each year instead of hundreds!
• They will be your go-to person the whole time you are working on your degree at PCC. They’ll help you with:
  • Academic advising (degree and university transfer planning)
  • Making connections
    • To resources that are available at PCC and in the community, like:
      Career Exploration, Accessible Ed & Disability Resources, Counseling
    • With other students, such as TRIO Peer Mentors!
    • How to talk with your instructors
  • Keeping track of your funding for school – applying for financial aid and scholarships

Tuition-free courses in study skills, financial literacy, and writing for scholarships

You will take three tuition-free College Success and Career Guidance (CG) courses that are transferrable elective credits
(7 credits total).

• All of these are required for TRIO students unless you have already taken them! We rotate between remote, in-person, and online options. In-person classes are at Cascade Campus in North Portland.
  • CG 111: Study Skills (2cr)
  • CG 105 + WR 105: Scholarship Applications & Essays (4cr)
  • CG 114: Financial Survival?(1cr)

TRIO Google Group!

You will be added to an email list so that information can be shared with you about events and opportunities offered by PCC Resource Centers, Student Life, PCC Opportunity Centers, organizations like the Oregon TRIO Association, etc.

TRIO Peer Mentor Program, Events and Activities

• Peer Mentor program
  • Mentors host events such as weekly study hall sessions
  • One-on-one support from mentors for things like using resources and improving study habits, understanding assignments in CG courses
• University campus tours
• Opportunities through the Oregon TRIO Association
• End-of-year/graduation celebrations
• TRIO Alumni Association

Are not required to be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents

TRIO programs in Oregon were recently approved to begin serving students who are not U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents! This new system is in place through the 2026-27 school year. Students who are accepted into TRIO SSS between Fall 2024 and Summer 2027 will be able to receive (4) cohort years of service from the program regardless of their citizenship status – as long as they are meeting the other guidelines for eligibility and remaining in good standing with the program.

Meet at least one federal guideline

You are:

• A low-income student.
• A first-generation college student (the parent(s) or guardian(s) who raised you do not have a bachelor’s degree or higher).
• A student with a documented disability.

Are working on their first college degree

In most cases, you have already earned a high school diploma, GED?, or equivalent.

Meet our academic need guidelines

You are still working on completing at least one of any of the following courses, or placed into at least one of them within one year before applying for TRIO SSS:

• Reading 90 or 115
• Writing 90 or 115
• Math 20, 58, 60, 65, 70, 95, 98, 105 or 111
• ESOL Level 7 or Level 8 courses
  • Contact us before applying if you are taking ESOL courses below Level 7/8

Are in Financial Aid Good Standing with a GPA of at least 2.0

Students are welcome to apply when they are expecting to be in Financial Aid Good Standing with a GPA of at least 2.0 by the beginning of the next term.

If you aren’t sure of your status, please connect with someone in Advising and/or Financial Aid. You can also see information about this in your MyPCC account, on the Paying for College tab.

Plan to enroll in at least six credits per term, or at least 18 per year

TRIO SSS admits students who are seeking to earn a degree (or 1+ year certificate) from PCC within about three years of entering the program.

Students can be in the program for four cohort years, and each cohort year ends on August 31st.

Preview the TRIO Student Agreement to get an even better idea of the expectations for TRIO students.

Are not currently a member of another program such as Future Connect

TRIO SSS is part of a family of College Success Programs at PCC! Students who are part of CALI, CAMP, or Future Connect are not able to be in those programs at the same time as TRIO, but it may be possible for you to participate in one of those programs and then move to TRIO later. You are welcome to get in touch with us or your current coach/advisor if you have questions about this!