The U.S. Department of Education has awarded West Virginia State University (WVSU) a five-year $2.5 million federal grant to resume Upward Bound services on campus.
The announcement of the approval of federal funding came from West Virginia’s two U.S. Senators, Joe Manchin, and Shelley Moore Capito, who had worked to restore the program’s funding after it was lost last year.
“We are grateful for the hard work of U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito in advocating for West Virginia State University to have funding for our Upward Bound program restored,” said WVSU President Anthony L. Jenkins. “For more than 50 years Upward Bound was an integral program on our campus, helping to make the dream of going to college a reality for generations of West Virginians. When our program lost funding last year over minor technical errors, we were devastated, as we did not want to lose a generation of future students that would not be exposed to the benefits of this program. Now with our funding restored, we look forward to returning Upward Bound to campus and to inspiring future generations to seek their full potential that is achievable through higher education.”
Upward Bound is a federally funded program designed to identify and provide services for first-generation college bound high school students. The program had operated on the campus of WVSU since 1965 before funding was lost last year.
Upward Bound exposes participants to academic, cultural, social, and recreational activities. These experiences can help a student become successful in post-secondary education and beyond.
During the regular school year Upward Bound students meet two Saturdays a month to take supplemental classes that help them increase their skills in math, English, history and science. Students also have access to free tutoring weekly.
In the summer, Upward Bound students attend a six-week residential program on the WVSU campus designed to give them a head start on their next year in school.
Upward Bound also provides a variety of cultural and career enrichment experiences, such as college visits and tours, cultural enrichment activities, ACT and SAT preparation, scholarship workshops, and academic advising
The WVSU Upward Bound program serves high school students attending Capital, South Charleston, George Washington, Hurricane, Logan, Riverside, St. Albans, and Sissonville.
Funding for WVSU’s Upward Bound program will resume Sept. 1, 2018, and services to students should resume by Oct. 1, 2018.
For more information on WVSU’s Upward Bound program, contact Krystal Tolliver, director of Student Support Services, at (304) 766-3086 or ktolliver@wvstateu.edu.
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