ISU TRIO Upward Bound receives $2.2 million federal grant

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State University’s TRIO Upward Bound Program has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue supporting local high school students as they prepare for college.

The TRIO Upward Bound program focuses on high school students interested in entering any program of postsecondary study. The program serves participants who are predominantly first-generation (defined by the federal government as meaning neither parent has completed a 4-year bachelor's degree) and limited-income students.

The program helps ninth to twelfth grade students prepare for college, offering a six-week summer residential academy and weekly services throughout the academic year.

The target area includes five high schools in Bannock and Power counties; county data shows 40% of households in Bannock and Power counties are considered limited-income, and 19% of adults over 25 have earned a four-year bachelor’s degree.

The TRIO Upward Bound program at Idaho State University is one of the oldest continually funded access programs in the United States, receiving its initial funding in the 1960’s. This national grant competition is extremely competitive and requires intense student success metrics be met in order to ensure funding. The program is located within the division of Access and Opportunity programs, a unit of federally funded programs providing services through nine federal grants totaling $3,177,043.00 a year and serving 3,200 individuals per year.

For more information about ISU TRIO Upward Bound contact Renea Midthun, Upward Bound Programs Administrative Assistant at reneamidthun@isu.edu.