Upward Bound Mission Statement

Our mission is to successfully prepare potential first generation college students with economic need for education beyond high school by prompting academic development, career planning, and personal/emotional development.

What is Upward Bound?

The Upward Bound program is one of the Federal TRIO programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education.  Upward Bound (UB) is a college preparatory program designed to ensure that high school students from low-income families who are potential first-generation college students enroll in and are successful in college or other postsecondary education. 

At this time, the ASU UB program serves 95 students in grades 10-12 from school districts in Craighead, Greene, Lawrence, Mississippi, and Poinsett counties. UB students are on campus on Saturdays during the academic year and participate in a six-week summer residential program. Applications for the program may be obtained from target school counselors, requested from the Upward Bound office, or printed from this website.

ASU UB provides academic tutoring, study skills workshops, college planning and cultural enrichment to students from local schools. Students offered counseling or support services to help deal with issues that may affect academic progress. All services are provided free of charge. Students earn the opportunity to attend extra UB activities that are not included above by maintaining respectable conduct and good academic grades at Upward Bound, as well as in their local schools.

Upward Bound, a program for high school students, does not discriminate on the basis of color, race, sex, handicap, or national origin and 100% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education.