On May 18, the U.S. Department of Education approved a five-year, $250,000 Upward Bound grant to Muskegon Community College to support its TRiO Upward Bound Program. An estimated 233 programs at colleges around the country did not receive funding for the next fiscal year.
TRiO Upward Bound is a group of federally-funded programs created to provide educational opportunities for students who come from families where the parents do not have four-year college degrees, and whose taxable income is at or below 150% of the poverty level. The program encourages the pursuit of higher education to high school students, many of whom never considered college a possibility primarily due to financial constraints.
Parental support and involvement is critical to both the program and student success, according to Robert Ross, Director of Upward Bound at MCC. "The program also seeks to instill a sense of community in its students and the desire to develop into contributing members of society through their involvement in community service projects and volunteer work," said Ross.
Now replenished with federal monies the MCC program can now effectively carry out its overriding goal to assist students throughout high school to ensure that they are adequately prepared to enroll in post-secondary education and to matriculate through to completion of a post-secondary degree. The program provides students with the necessary skills to withstand the rigors inherent in attending college. To date, 107 9th-12th grade students have participated at MCC, with many more currently enrolled or in the application process.
According to the national TRiO Upward Bound website, 90 percent of program graduates continue on to college and attain their degrees.