SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Trump administration’s 2026 budget plan calls for deep reductions to the Department of Education.

This includes eliminating support for programs serving thousands of first-generation, low-income and disabled students. In the proposal, the administration calls the TRIO programs a “relic of the past.”

Educators in Savannah said the loss of these services would be devastating for generations to come.

Bobby Roberts is the director of the Upward Bound program at Savannah State University. He said TRIO programs have been a part of the institution for 59 years.

“These programs are undoubtedly important. Students are given the opportunity to dream,” Roberts said. “You have to look at the impact that these programs have and the results, the sheer results.”

Nationally, over 1 million students have been served through over 3,000 programs, according to Roberts. He said these programs help students K-12 stay on track and pursue higher education.

“This allows students to dream in color and actualize those short-term goals, which is of course is graduating from high school, but definitely aligning with college and post-secondary options before they leave strengthens the workforce,” Roberts said.

The Trump administration wrote that institutions should be using their own resources to “engage with k-12 schools in their communities to recruit students, and then once those students are on campus, aid in their success through to graduation.”

Roberts told News 3 this wouldn’t be a change for the better.

“Where does the mentorship happen? Where does the academic support happen? What happens to students who had access to special devices due to their disability when they don’t have access to those things, how will those students continue to function?”

Roberts asked the community to fight back by advocating for these programs and calling your local representatives.