Current TRiO Students

The TRiO lab is open on a walk-in basis to active TRiO participants. The TRiO lab serves as a study area and gathering space for TRiO events, and is also the main site for TRiO tutoring. Technology resources available for use in the TRiO lab include desktop computers, free printing for coursework, select textbooks and reference books, and calculators and other supplies. A rotating selection of snacks is also available in the TRiO lab for our students.

In order to use the TRiO lab, you must be an active TRiO student for the current school year, which means you have either had your beginning of semester advisor meeting or your TRiO intake meeting. Please sign in and out at the front desk when using the TRiO lab. If you were a TRiO student in a previous year, but have not done a beginning of semester meeting this year, please contact us at 217/353-2267 to reserve your place this year.

TRiO tutors are professional tutors who have a bachelor’s degree. Tutoring is offered in the TRiO lab on weekdays on a walk-in basis. 

Active TRiO participants may also access 24/7 live online tutoring through our partner, ThinkingStorm. Active participants can access ThinkingStorm via the TRiO Cobra page.

In order to be active in TRiO, TRiO students are required to meet with a TRiO advisor at the beginning, middle, and end of each semester. These meetings generally take less than 20 minutes, unless you need more time. Depending on when you joined TRiO, your intake meeting will count as your first meeting. TRiO students are welcome to meet with a TRiO advisor more than just these three times. To schedule an appointment with a TRiO advisor, click here.

After the first month of each semester, instructors provide TRiO advisors with feedback on how their students are performing in each class. Your TRiO advisor may ask you to schedule an advising meeting in order to discuss instructor feedback and help you make the most of the academic resources available to you.

Retention concerns
If you are struggling to stay in school due to extenuating personal circumstances and/or academic challenges, you are encouraged to meet more frequently with your TRiO advisor.

Career advising
TRiO advisors will work with you to help you determine your career path. We try and review your career plans at each advising meeting, but you are also welcome to come to us with specific concerns. TRiO advisors can direct you to career inventories and guide you as you determine your path. We will also work with you to utilize Career Cruising, a free online resource that assists in the process. TRiO tutors and advisors are available to review and discuss job applications, resumes, and cover letters.

Transfer assistance
If you plan to transfer to a four-year school and earn a bachelor's degree, TRiO is here to help. We try and review your transfer plans at each advising meeting, but you are also welcome to come to us with specific concerns. TRiO staff lead 2-4 college visits to Illinois schools each semester: at each college visit, students have the opportunity to meet with admissions advisors, hear from financial aid personnel, and take a tour of campus.

TRiO workshops are offered in three different formats. Traditionally, most workshops are available as 50-minute, small group sessions in the TRiO lab. All workshops are also offered in online, one-on-one format, either as a meeting with an advisor or tutor, or through our Cobra page to complete at your own pace. Check out this semester's calendar to see what's coming up, or book a one-on-one workshop.

In order to receive federal student aid, all TRiO participants are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA must be completed each school year, beginning as early as October 1 the year prior to the award year. Parkland College encourages all students to complete the FAFSA on or as close to October 1 as possible, as that may qualify you for more aid.

• Complete the FAFSA online
• Parkland College Financial Aid information

Financial aid advising
TRiO students with questions about the financial aid process or their financial aid awards are encouraged to talk to their TRiO advisor to get help navigating the process, both at Parkland and when preparing to transfer. To schedule a TRiO financial review, click here.

Scholarships
Parkland offers many scholarships each semester, and TRiO wants to help you find and apply for them. Check our TRiO lab calendar for scholarship workshops, including a workshop on searching for scholarships and planning your application. If you can’t make it to a scheduled workshop, a TRiO tutor can assist you with your personal statement. You may also meet with a TRiO advisor for assistance understanding the Parkland scholarship process, including using the scholarship search.

Current students may search available scholarships by logging in to my.parkland.edu For more information on Parkland scholarships, please visit Parkland Financial Aid’s website.

Part of being a successful college student is understanding how to pay for school and manage your personal finances. Students are encouraged to discuss financial concerns with TRiO advisors as needed.

Workshops
TRiO offers a variety of financial literacy workshops each semester. Please review the current semester TRiO Cobra calendar to view upcoming sessions. If you can’t make it to a scheduled workshop, you may meet with a TRiO advisor to review specific financial concerns.  

A variety of online resources are available to assist with financial literacy education. We have partnered with iGrad, and comprehensive financial education service, to give our students free access to a variety of tools and resources. Login to the TRiO Cobra page to access iGrad.

TRiO students work hard, but also know how to have fun! We offer a variety of social and cultural events designed to help our students meet new friends and learn more about the world around us.

Friday Fun Day
Join us in the TRiO lab every afternoon from 1pm-3 for light snacks, activities, and conversation. Most Friday Fun Days are loosely structured, with board games and a revolving cast of TRiO staff and students dropping by. Every so often Friday Fun Day includes a larger activity like a field trip or other adventure.

Monthly Social
Once a month the TRiO staff makes lunch for students! Come by the TRiO lab and enjoy good food, good company, and a rotating educational theme. Check the lab calendar for upcoming TRiO socials.

Small Cultural Trips
Two to four times per semester we reserve tickets for plays, musicals, and other theatrical productions at Parkland or at UIUC’s Krannert Center. We also plan visits to local museums and historical sites. Past cultural trips have included the Nutcracker Ballet at the Krannert and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at Parkland. For upcoming trips, please refer to the lab calendar, and keep an eye out for email and Cobra updates.

Summer Cultural Trip
Every summer we take a big day trip to Chicago, IL or St. Louis, MO. In July 2019 we took 15 students to St. Louis, spending a full day at the St. Louis Zoo and the Gateway Arch, with dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. For information on the next summer trip, keep an eye on your student email in late spring semester.