PURPOSE

Originally funded beginning September 1, 2003, UCA's Upward Bound Project provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates at which participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.

Upward Bound strives to provide academic challenges and emotional and social support in order to raise participants' self-concept, enhance their self-development and achieve their full potential. Starting at enrollment, students are challenged to remain in the program and to achieve success in their academic and personal development throughout their high school careers into post-secondary education.

IMPORTANCE

To understand the importance of Upward Bound, one only has to know that before entering the program, some of these students never considered college because they either never thought they could attend or had been told the odds against them were too great.

FUNDING

Upward Bound is 100% federally funded by the U. S. Department of Education for eligible high school students who aspire toward higher education. Upward Bound is part of the Trio family of federally funded programs. The UCA program is one of over 900 Upward Bound Projects operating throughout the United States.

OBJECTIVES

The project is designed to achieve four student objectives. We have developed a comprehensive plan for evaluating progress in meeting these objectives.

1. 60% of all UB participants will have achieved at the proficient level during  high school on state assessments in reading/language arts and math.  
2. 75% of 9th, 10th, and 11th grade project participants served during each school year will continue to participate in the Upward Bound Project during the next school year.
3. 75% of all UB participants will enroll in a program of post-secondary education by the fall term immediately following thier graduation date from high school.
4. 70% of all UB participants who enrolled in a program of post-secondary education during the fall term immediately following high school graduation will be enrolled for the fall term of the second academic year.

RESEARCH

Research shows that overall, more than eighty percent (80%) of Upward Bound graduates enter institutions of higher learning. These graduates are more than twice as likely to enroll in post-secondary education as are students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in an Upward Bound Program. Six years after high school graduation, Upward Bound students were four times as likely to earn a college degree as students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in an Upward Bound Program. Given these results, it is evident that Upward Bound participation is positively related to immediate entry into post-secondary (college) education and completion of an undergraduate (college) degree.