What is Snow College Upward Bound?

 U.B. Mission Statement

- To help high school Students develop their capabilities and reach the potential that their families and teachers know exist.
- To increase academic skills.
- To increase college success.
- To develop the confidence, drive, and determination to contribute to the American society.
Upward Bound is a Federal TRIO program funded by a grant cycle of $1,427,412.00 with 70 students served per year of funding.

About U.B.

Our nation has asserted a commitment to providing educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstance. In support of this commitment, Congress established a series of programs to help low-income Americans enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life. These programs are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are referred to as the TRIO programs (initially just three programs). While student financial aid programs help students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRIO programs help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
Upward Bound helps young students to prepare for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, mathematics, and science on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer.

U.B. At Snow College

The Upward Bound program at Snow College was originally funded in 1989. Diane J. Gardner, M.Ed. is the current director. The program operates on a four-year grant cycle and received its most current grant renewal in 2008.  U.B. serves seventy participants, sophomores through seniors, in three target schools in Sanpete County. Students interested in participating in Upward Bound should contact the Upward Bound advisor at their high school for more information.
There are about 20 students in each school's Upward Bound group. During the school year, students meet after school for 16 hours each month with their Upward Bound advisor for tutoring, homework, counseling, workshops, discussions, career exploration, service projects, and cultural and educational field trips. Each summer, 40 students compete to come to the Snow College campus for five weeks. Students live in apartments, take classes around campus from Snow College faculty, get expert help from live-in tutors, and attend interesting workshops and guest speakers. All Upward Bound summer students receive passes to the Activity Center where there is a pool, a fitness center, basketball, tennis, volleyball and racquetball courts. Evening activities are varied and include team sports, bowling, hiking, golf, and the ropes course. At the end of the five-week term, academically deserving students go on an extended field trip. In past years students have ridden trolleys around San Fransisco, rafted through the whitewater of the Green River, been splashed by Shamu at Sea World in San Diego, discovered Yellowstone, explored Utah on ATVs, and learned history in Washington DC, Boston and New York City.
Best of all though, are the friends participants will make in Upward Bound. Participants will meet students from other schools who are willing to work hard and have fun together. The friendships formed, whether in history class, as roommates, or maybe just through a mutual enjoyment of sand volleyball, may be friends to have forever.

U.B. Eligibility Requirements

Students interested in applying for Upward Bound at Snow College must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
- Must be in the 10th grade in one of the target schools.
- Neither parent has a four-year college degree.
- Must meet current U.S. Department of Education family income guidelines (low income).
- Must have a sincere desire to go to college and be willing to work toward that goal.
- Must be willing to stay in Upward Bound through the summer following high school graduation.
- Must commit to spending some summers at Snow College Summer Component.
As mandated by Congress, two-thirds of the students served must come from low-income families, where neither parent graduated from college. Over 1,900 TRIO programs currently serve nearly 872,000 low-income Americans between the ages of 11 and 27. Many programs serve students in grades 6 through 12. Thirty-seven percent of TRIO students are White, 35 percent are African-American, 19 percent are Hispanic, 4 percent are Native-American and 4 percent are Asian-American. Sixteen thousand TRIO students are disabled.

How it Works

Over 1,200 colleges, universities, community colleges, and agencies now offer TRIO programs in America. TRIO funds are distributed to institutions through competitive grants. Students in the Upward Bound program are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in TRIO; nearly 20 percent of all Black and Hispanic freshmen who entered college in 1981 received assistance through the TRIO Talent Search or EOC programs; students in the TRIO Student Support Services program are more than twice as likely to remain in college than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in the program.

Summer Component

Each summer 40 students earn the right to participate in the five-week Upward Bound Summer Component. Four of those weeks are spent taking college classes and the final week is enjoying a well-deserved trip.
Participants come to Snow College and take college level/credit classes taught by Snow College instructors in subjects ranging from Physics 1010 to GNST 1010, Leadership to PHED 1770 Fit For Life.
Participants learn to live in apartments with U.B. roommates, shop for groceries, live within a budget (all resources provided by UBSC), manage their time, and generally have a college experience that will prepare them to succeed once they leave the program.
Students are involved in evening activities that include sports, crafts, speakers, group sports, and field trips. There are study hall hours where Resident Assistants (RAs) provide academic help.
The final trip allows our students to experience the larger world and seek out educational/cultural opportunities that might not be readily available to our participants.
In previous summers, we have traveled to such places as San Diego, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Boston, New York, the Colorado River and we have seen Shakespearean plays. It is a great way to end a meaningful summer of accomplishment.