This year is the 50^th Anniversary of Upward Bound programs.  Southern Arkansas University’s Upward Bound program is one of the first in the nation, and has provided valuable contributions in the lives of low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities for the past 48 years.  Currently, SAU sponsors two Upward Bound programs that together serve up to 180 Southwest Arkansas high school students.

Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program.  It is one of a cluster of programs referred to as TRIO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty.  These programs are implemented and monitored by the United States Department of Education. The goal of Upward Bound is to provide certain categories of high school students with better opportunities for attending college. The categories of greatest concern are those with low income, those with parents who did not attend college, and those living in rural areas. The program works through individual grants, each of which covers a restricted geographic area and provides services to an average of 50 to 100 students annually (Wikipedia).

If you are a current or former Upward Bound participant, please visit our Facebook page,  “Southern Arkansas University Upward Bound” and post a testimonial telling how the program contributed to your success.  Testimonials will be included in a presentation that will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.  Help us show that “TRIO Works!”  If you have questions or need additional information, please call the Upward Bound office at 870-235-4160, or stop by Bruce Center, Room 210 on the university campus.