Upward Bound Program Receives Continued
Funding at Tri-County Technical College

CONTACT: DAVID PRESSLEY, EXT. 2351

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6/18/99
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON - A program designed to help high school students bridge the gap between secondary school and college and to provide them with financial and academic resources to prepare for postsecondary education has received continued full federal funding at Tri-County Technical College.

Upward Bound has been awarded $328,724 by the Department of Education for 1999 - 2000. This is the first year of funding for a four-year Upward Bound project which serves 60 low-income and/or potential first generation college students from the 15 area high schools.

All TRIO grant funds are awarded under a discretionary grant process based on competition between applicants. During the Upward Bound competition, 942 applications were reviewed from institutions of higher education, public and private agencies and other organizations throughout the nation. Tri-County Technical College's was one of 770 successful applications funded through 2003.

This program helps high school students to develop the skills and motivation necessary to complete secondary school and successfully pursue post-secondary educational programs, said David Pressley, coordinator of Upward Bound.

The Upward Bound project, sponsored by Tri-County, serves 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders from Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. It targets those who are potential college students and gives them information and assistance concerning the college opportunities available to them.

Students must meet the U.S. Department of Education economic guidelines and/or be potential first generation college students (neither parent has a bachelor's degree) to qualify for admission to the program.

According to Mr. Pressley, Upward Bound provides academic programs (primarily on Saturdays) throughout the academic year, along with a summer program. A six-week residential summer component is held, and students are provided room and board at Clemson University. Upward Bound provides intensive instruction in skills, such as reading, public speaking, writing, math and laboratory science and foreign language, along with academic guidance, career and personal counseling.

The summer component offers college prep classes during those six weeks, explained Mr. Pressley. "Intensified exposure to these classes will enable students to better perform in the areas of math, science and English during the academic school year. Recent Upward Bound high school graduates can get the experience of college life while taking college level classes, and if they are successful, they can earn six semester hours of credit that will transfer to the college they will be attending that fall."

Mr. Pressley added that a foreign language component, featuring Spanish, has been a successful experience for the students. First-year students have enjoyed higher grade point averages because of the early exposure, he said. "Foreign language is a major requirement for college bound students and thus was mandated by federal regulation to help meet the challenges that college entry presents. Some students experience difficulty in their foreign language classes. This opportunity has eased their anxiety about their beginning foreign language courses and continues to prepare them for the challenge," he said.

The summer component is truly a rewarding experience, said Mr. Pressley. "Many students thrive on the social interaction. Some enter the program with very shy and timid personalities, but they leave as self-confident, outgoing, socially delightful students. These students realize that they can handle the demands of the summer component and of high school. Many undergo a positive cultural/social transformation, and that's quite rewarding.

"The program promotes a renewed interest in academics, and it gives them a different insight into their academic capabilities. It motivates them to realize that their dreams can be reached," he said.

TRIO programs are designed to help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education, said TRIO Director Elaine Scott-Mattison. They provide college information, counseling, academic advising and instruction, tutoring, assistance in applying for admission to colleges and help with completing financial aid forms.

Tri-County's programs - Student Support Services, Upward Bound and Talent Search - are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are known as TRIO programs.

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