TRIO grants
UD awarded nearly $3 million in federal grants to support TRIO programs
10:15 a.m., Oct. 8, 2012--Two University of Delaware programs designed to prepare low-income, underrepresented high school students for college success have received approximately $3 million in federal Department of Education grants over the next five years.
The two grants will allow the University to continue offering the Classic Upward Bound (UB) and Upward Bound Math/Science (UBMS) programs, which combine academic coursework with support, counseling and cultural enrichment experiences through an intensive six-week summer residential program.
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Each Upward Bound program is funded to serve 66 local students from low-income families who have potential to pursue and complete a baccalaureate degree. Upward Bound prepares them for college entrance, persistence and graduation.
“Hundreds of graduates have gone on to success in college and beyond, and we are proud to have received this grant, which allows us to continue the important work of increasing and improving access for underrepresented students,” says Avron Abraham, director of the Center for Academic Success and University Studies.
One notable Upward Bound alumnus is sociologist, author, lecturer and educator Bertice Berry, who served as UD’s keynote speaker at this year’s 1743 Welcome Days.
The Upward Bound programs are part of the federal TRIO family of educational opportunity programs for students from low-income and first-generation college backgrounds.
In addition to Upward Bound, UD also sponsors two TRIO programs for matriculated students: Student Support Services and McNair Scholars. These programs work together to ensure that eligible UD students — such as those graduating from the Upward Bound programs — have the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed in college and enter graduate programs of their choice.
“While UB/UBMS prepare students to enter the race, SSSP and McNair help them make it across the finish line,” says Cheryl Davis-Robinson, who leads the Student Support Services Program.
Since its founding at UD, countless University students, staff and faculty have been involved in the UB/UBMS communities as resident assistant/tutors, instructors, mentors and resource providers.
Abraham points out that TRIO programs such as the Upward Bound programs provide both opportunity and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, while reinforcing the aims outlined in the President’s Diversity Initiative and Path to Prominence.