TRiO Educational Talent Search

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I get to your office?	We are located in the L.V. Eberhard Center, 301 West Fulton in downtown Grand Rapids. It's in the same building as the Meijer Broadcasting Center and the Fred M. Keller Engineering Laboratories. Our office suite is 104, which is on the first floor just next to the Security Desk.
2. Where do I park?	The closest place to park is on the bridge spanning the Grand River, which has metered parking. The next closest is the Grand Rapids Public Museum parking ramp where you will also have to pay a fee. There is free parking at the Pew Campus behind the DeVos Center. It is on the other side of the freeway and you enter the parking lot off of Mt. Vernon Street. It is approximately 3 blocks to our office. If you are handicapped, please call our office so we can make arrangements for you to park in a handicapped spot in the faculty/staff parking lot in front of the building near the door. There are a few metered parking spots right in front of the Eberhard Center.
3. Can Educational Talent Search help pay for college expenses?	We do not have money to give you for educational expenses. We can, however, arrange to have the admissions application fee deferred and we have ACT fee waivers in certain cases. You MUST be income-eligible to obtain fee deferments and waivers. We will help you fill out financial aid applications and we have information to assit you seek scholarships.
4. If I'm a high school graduate, can Educational Talent Search still help me get into college?	Yes. We are funded to serve people aged 11 up through adults. We can work with you as long as you have not received a Bachelor's or post-Bachelor's degree. Our target group are in grades 6th though 12th grades in our target schools.
5. Do I have to attend or plan to attend Grand Valley to access program services?	No. We work with people who want to attend schools other than Grand Valley. Many of our clients attend other colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools.
6. Are there fees for your services?	No. We are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. All of our services are free of charge. Note: field trips and events may have some charges. There are some deposits to save your reservations on certain field trips which are refundable when you arrive. If some events require that you eat, the program will sometimes have food available for a nominal cost.