Council for Opportunity in Education - COE

What’s NEW in the 2026 I’m First! Guide to College? Get an exclusive first look! This special webinar will explore the newly expanded I’m First! Guide 18.0—the go-to college resource for first-generation, low-income students.

🗓 Tuesday, April 14
⏰ 2:00–2:45 PM ET

With 50+ new pages, this year’s guide is bigger, smarter, and more impactful than ever—featuring:

✨ New content for younger students on the value of college
✨ Updated application strategies, FAFSA guidance, & financial aid tools
✨ Real talk on using AI responsibly in admissions
✨ Practical, ready-to-use content for TRIO professionals

Register here: https://coenet.org/conferences-events/the-im-first-guide-18-0-a-more-powerful-all-in-once-college-resource/

COE is proud to partner with UStrive to bring this essential resource to TRIO programs nationwide. Order copies today at https://ustrive.co/COE and use the promo code COE25OFF26 for 25% off.

2026 I'm First! Guide to College UStrive.org's I'm First! Guide to College is a unique college guidebook designed to help first-generation college students make their college dreams a reality!

Please share this with all TRIO alumni in your network and invite them to join the conversation.

TRIO Alumni Community Meeting - Council for Opportunity in Education A special meeting for all TRIO alumni to provide an update on the latest threats impacting TRIO and how you can help defend current students and programs.

At a time when TRIO Programs continue to face threats, it’s important to remember: this movement was built to endure.

President Emeritus Dr. Arnold Mitchem, a lifelong advocate for educational opportunity, is being honored with the 2026 Dr. John Hope Franklin Award. His leadership didn’t just shape TRIO—it protected it.

From Capitol Hill to campuses across the country, Dr. Mitchem built a bipartisan coalition that ensured TRIO Programs could survive funding cuts, political shifts, and repeated calls for elimination.

Because of that work, more than 800,000 students are served each year.

Because of that work, TRIO is still here.

And because of that work, we have a responsibility to keep fighting.

“TRIO is eternal.”

As we navigate today’s challenges, his legacy is a call to action: protect what works, invest in students, and refuse to go backward.

Read more about his impact ⬇️
https://coenet.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Arnold-Mitchem-Reflects-on-Lifetime-of-Advocacy-for-the-Disadvantaged-_-The-EDU-Ledger.pdf

🚨 LAST CALL: Submit Your Proposal by Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 11:59pm ET! 🚨

Submit here: https://fs3.formsite.com/coecoecoecoe/qgd7mwpnsw/index

The countdown to San Diego is on—and your voice belongs in the conversation.

Submit your session proposal by Wednesday, April 8 and help define what excellence looks like in today’s TRIO landscape.

Submit here: https://fs3.formsite.com/coecoecoecoe/qgd7mwpnsw/index

San Diego sets the stage. TRIO provides the purpose. You bring the leadership.

“Attempts to eliminate TRIO amounts to a declaration that access to higher education no longer matters,” said COE President Kimberly Jones. “This proposal turns its back on low-income students – ranging from middle-schoolers to working parents – who are fighting to overcome barriers and build better futures for themselves and their families.”

COE Rejects Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs in FY 2027 Budget - Council for Opportunity in Education The institutions—Oklahoma City Community College, South Seattle College, and Chesapeake College—are demonstrating how proven strategies like holistic advising, mentoring, and proactive student support can be embedded institution-wide to improve retention, completion, and transfer outcomes.

The award was created to identify and elevate colleges that have successfully institutionalized TRIO Student Support Services practices, recognizing that TRIO’s impact can extend far beyond the students directly served by federal grants.

The Council for Opportunity in Education Announces Inaugural Award for Institutional Effectiveness Recipients - Council for Opportunity in Education The institutions—Oklahoma City Community College, South Seattle College, and Chesapeake College—are demonstrating how proven strategies like holistic advising, mentoring, and proactive student support can be embedded institution-wide to improve retention, completion, and transfer outcomes.

We’re grateful to our partners at FirstGen Forward for standing with the TRIO community at this critical moment. Their statement underscores what we know to be true: protecting access and opportunity for first-generation and low-income students requires collective action and unwavering commitment.

Read their full statement and join us in continuing the fight for students.

FirstGen Forward President Dr. Stephanie J. Bannister emphasizes that Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers remain essential to first‑generation student success. The concerns raised by the Council for Opportunity in Education - COE regarding proposed changes to TRIO’s Talent Search program highlight a critical moment for the future of college access, particularly for first‑generation and low-income students.
Read the full statement here: https://bit.ly/fgf-statement402

The countdown to San Diego is on—and your voice belongs in the conversation.

Submit your session proposal by Wednesday, April 8 and help define what excellence looks like in today’s TRIO landscape.

Submit here: https://fs3.formsite.com/coecoecoecoe/qgd7mwpnsw/index

San Diego sets the stage. TRIO provides the purpose. You bring the leadership.