The Council for Opportunity in Education

The mission of the Council is to advance and defend the ideal of equal educational opportunity in postsecondary education. As such, the focus of the Council is assuring that the least advantaged segments of the American population have a realistic chance to enter and graduate from a postsecondary institution. A secondary purpose of the Council is to provide a voice and a political vehicle for administrators, counselors and teachers who are employed in institutionally-, state- and federally-funded opportunity programs, especially those professionals with TRIO programs.

Our Organization

The Council for Opportunity in Education is a nonprofit organization, established in 1981, dedicated to furthering the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the United States. Through its numerous membership services, the Council works in conjunction with colleges, universities, and agencies that host TRIO Programs to specifically help low-income Americans enter college and graduate.

Who is Served

As mandated by Congress, two-thirds of the students served must come from families with incomes under $28,000, where neither parent graduated from college. More than 2,600 TRIO Programs currently serve nearly 866,000 low-income Americans. Many programs serve students in grades six through 12.