MARIETTA, OH– Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) has been awarded a $1.3 million grant for the Upward Bound College Prep Academy from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant, distributed at $270,375 per year for the next five years, will be used to keep the program moving toward its mission to help first-generation, income-eligible students overcome social, cultural, and academic barriers to succeed in higher education.
Deb Goins, Director of Upward Bound, along with her team of student advisors, encourage students to enroll in college following their high school graduation. “This is an invaluable program that’s designed to help students prevail against the obstacles they face as the first in their families to attend and graduate from college,” explained Goins. “We do what we can to help them be successful in all aspects of the college planning process including assisting with college admissions, financial aid, and scholarship applications.”
The program, sponsored by WSCO since 1999, currently targets 65 students from all high schools in Washington and Morgan counties. Its goals are to motivate and support high school students to successfully complete a rigorous program of study in high school and to pursue post-secondary opportunities.
Upward Bound advisors provide direct services and individually focused programming geared towards helping students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process. They regularly meet with students during the school year to provide academic tutoring and supplemental instruction to strengthen academic skills. During the summer, students are provided the opportunity to attend a six week college-like experience with enrichment classes at Washington State that includes a dorm-life experience at Marietta College. These students also get to visit colleges and participate weekly in community service.
To participate in Upward Bound, students begin as early as the summer following their eighth-grade year and they continue in the program through the summer after high school graduation. All services and activities are free to participants. To become a member of Upward Bound or to get more information, contact the office at 740-568-1926 or www.wscc.edu/campus-a-community/upward-bound.
Upward Bound is part of the Federal TRIO programs, which were created in 1964 as a bi-partisan response to the war on poverty to educate more students as promoted by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson.
For more than 45 years, Washington State College of Ohio has fueled the community’s future through education. We work to make a positive impact by providing opportunities for growth. Whether you are a recent high school graduate or an adult student looking to enrich your life, we cultivate pathways to guide you toward future growth. Be inspired. Be WSCO. For more information about Washington State College of Ohio, visit www.wscc.edu or call 740.374.8716.
