On February 19, 2003, APSU and the Clarksville/Montgomery County area celebrated National TRIO Day at the new Morgan University Center.  The five federal TRIO programs, Student Support Services, High School Upward Bound, Tri-County Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Center, and Veterans Upward Bound, came together with students, faculty , and staff to celebrate the achievements and contributions of first-generation and low-income students.  The federal TRIO programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and funding is appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress.  Special invited guests included Dr. Sherry Hoppe, President of APSU, Don Trotter, Mayor of Clarksville, and Doug Weiland, Montgomery County Executive.  Dr. Stanley Groppel, Dean of Extended and Distance Education and TRIO Programs, and Dr. Timothy Sweet-Holp, Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs.

The highlights of the celebration were the spoken words of success given by 10 students who were identified by the programs as TRIO achievers.  The TRIO achievers voiced hopefulness, words of encouragement, and excitement about their experiences and their future goals. 

For 2002-2003, the TRIO programs at APSU served 1,929 students and were funded at $1.5 million federal dollars.