Program Overview

Introduction to TRIO Upward Bound

The TRIO Upward Bound program is a federally funded initiative designed to prepare students for college or vocational school through various enrichment courses, intensive mentoring, and academic support.

Program Overview

Upward Bound is an intensive intervention program that provides students with instruction in literature, composition, mathematics, science, and foreign language during the school year and the summer. The program also offers intensive mentoring and support for students as they prepare for college entrance exams and tackle admission applications, financial aid, and scholarship forms.

Program Details

• The program serves more than 70,000 students through 956 Upward Bound projects.
• Recent analysis from the U.S. Department of Education showed that 86 percent of Upward Bound students in the high school graduation cohort enrolled immediately in college following high school graduation.
• The Boise State TRIO Upward Bound serves the following schools:
  • Caldwell High School
  • Meridian High School
  • Nampa High School
  • Owyhee High School
  • Rimrock High School

Program Activities

• The program provides opportunities like college tours, a five-week summer program, and scholarship assistance to help low-income students achieve their goals.
• Students participate in various activities, such as learning physics through golf, where they learn about the science involved in the sport of golf and how to swing a golf club.
• The program also includes administration sessions where students learn about the college experience, how to apply to school, get admitted, and what to expect.

Student Success Stories

• Nicholas Mendez, a first-generation college student from Caldwell High School, is an example of the program's success. With the support of the TRIO Upward Bound Program, Mendez is pursuing his dream of higher education at Stanford University, where he will study Earth and planetary science with a minor in International Relations.

Program Location

• The TRIO Upward Bound program is located at Boulder Hall - Room 202, Boise State University.