NDSU’s TRIO Upward Bound program has been renewed for five years by the U.S. Department of Education. The college access and preparation program is for students in grades 9-12 at Davies, Fargo North, Fargo South and Moorhead High Schools.
A total of 52 high school students participate. To qualify, their family income level must be 150% of poverty and/or neither of their parents have a four-year degree.
According to program director Ben Shapiro, the renewal includes $291,601 per year for five years or $1,488,005 over the course of the funding.
“Upward Bound is so beneficial to students from low-income and first-generation families that have no experience with the high education,” Shapiro said. “The program helps students be successful in high school and gain access to higher education. College is essential for so many jobs in our economy and can move families out of generational poverty.”
To prepare students for college, the program provides a variety of services year-round, including tutoring, mentoring, advising and summer enrichment programs. All services are free for participants.
Students in the NDSU TRIO Upward Bound program have been more successful than their peers in other areas across the country, as this 2020-2021 data demonstrates:
• 100% of high school seniors graduated from secondary school. State average for low-income students is 77% in North Dakota and 72% in Minnesota.
• 76% of college-ready participants enrolled in postsecondary education programs. The state average for low-income students is 44% in North Dakota and 63% in Minnesota.
• 44% of former participants earned college degrees within six years of high school graduation. The national average is 21%.
“Disparities have grown between low-income and first-generation students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are thrilled that we received funding to help diminish some of those disparities in the Fargo-Moorhead area,” Shapiro said.
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