About AASAP

The Arkansas Association of Student Assistance Programs, commonly called AASAP, consists of TRIO professionals across the state of Arkansas who have dedicated their careers to helping first generation, low income and/or disabled students access and complete a college education.

The federally funded TRIO programs were born in 1965 when President Johnson signed the Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound, the first program aimed at helping low income students pursue a postsecondary education, was soon joined by the Educational Talent Search program and Student Support Services; this “TRIO” of educational programs was seen as pivotal in fighting the “War on Poverty.” Today, the TRIO programs include Educational Opportunity Center, Veterans Upward Bound, Upward Math-Science, and McNair Scholars; all have the mission of sharing the dream of a better life through education with the disadvantaged.

AASAP was incorporated in 1998, and is a non-profit organization that is a member of the Southwest Association of Assistance Programs (SWASAP), a regional association consisting of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.