$1.76 Million Awarded to Upward Bound From: University Currents Date: April 26, 2000 By: Dawn Fuller Phone: (513) 556-1823 Archive: Campus News, General News The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1.76 million dollars to UC's Upward Bound program, which provides the motivation for disadvantaged high school students to complete their diploma and aim for a college degree. The funding begins June 1 and continues for four years. UC's year-long Upward Bound program presently serves 100 students in grades 9-12 who attend Cincinnati Public and Princeton schools. About 67 percent of the students in the program must have low-income backgrounds and parents who did not attend college; the other 33 percent of the students are either from low-income backgrounds, or they are potentially first generation college students. The program requires discipline and family involvement. During the academic year, students must come to campus at least one night a week for tutoring and academic counseling. They attend Saturday classes at UC to receive instruction on subjects such as reading, math and science, as well as academic and career counseling. Upward Bound director Phillip Cathey says students who are interested in enrolling in the program must go through a probationary period to determine if they're serious about their academic success. Cathey also meets with the parents of the students four times a year to bring them up to date on their child's progress. UC's also has a six-week summer Upward Bound program, when students stay in college dorms, hold part-time jobs and undergo intensive study in subjects such as calculus, biology, chemistry, French, Spanish and English. Students take college tours and attend social events, including the Upward Bound Olympics, a statewide competition of students in Upward Bound programs. High school seniors enrolled in UC's Upward Bound bridge program can take up to six credit- hours of UC college courses over the summer, which they can transfer to the college of their choice. "Many of our students tell us Upward Bound helped them get their college degrees, pointed them in the right direction and helped them prepare themselves for what they needed to do," says Cathey, who adds 50 percent of his students remain at UC for their college educations. Cincinnati Public and Princeton students interested in applying for Upward Bound can get applications from their high school counselors. UC has one of the oldest Upward Bound programs in the country, dating back to 1968. In 1999, more than 56,450 students were served in Upward Bound programs across the nation.