Educational Opportunity and Success Act of 2025

This bill updates and extends federal TRIO programs through 2030. TRIO helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for and succeed in college. It makes the grant process fairer, gives more help to applicants, updates how program success is measured (including for veteran-focused projects), and raises student stipends.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the organizations that run TRIO programs; there are also specific updates for veterans served by Upward Bound .
• Applying and getting help: The Education Department cannot reject applications for formatting issues or small budget typos; applicants must get a chance (at least 14 days) to fix errors, and there’s a way to ask for a review if scoring mistakes are found. ED must also offer at least one virtual, interactive training for interested applicants .
• Who qualifies and how to prove it: Programs can use a student’s most recent FAFSA or Pell eligibility to show they are low-income. The bill defines “low-income” as at or below 150% of the poverty level, or by other listed criteria, and allows FAFSA information to be used to verify this .
• Student benefits: Raises stipend limits in Upward Bound and the McNair program, including up to $4,000 for McNair participants and up to $100 per month for adults in veteran-focused Upward Bound projects. McNair can include faculty-led research, not just summer internships.
• When: Authorizes funding for FY2025 and the next five years (through FY2030), including $1.1 billion in FY2025 .