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Target population

• Current rising ninth, tenth, or eleventh grader in the system. 
• Participants must have a desire to attend an institution of higher education. 
• Participants must be income eligible, potential first generation college student or both to fully receive Upward Bound services (low income as documented by parents’ or guardians’ current tax return; first generation means that parents or guardians did not attend college and do not hold bachelor’s degrees).
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Students must have a desire to participate in all college preparatory activities and have a willingness to dedicate themselves to the program. Once accepted into the program, students will receive service until their high school graduation, unless otherwise noted.
• Students who can prove that they are at-risk for poor academic performance based on adverse circumstances (e.g., migration, predominantly low income area, foster care youth, etc.). Contact our office for more information.

Benefits

• Tutoring, grade monitoring and other formal types of academic support. 
• Mentoring, advising and assisting students with the path to higher education.
• Stipend for participation three times per year ($40 per month during the academic component and $90 maximum for the summer component). 
• Exposure to various university programs and services.
• Exposure to cultural activities on campus, locally in Kalamazoo and nationally across the country.
• Career explorations presented by scholars, graduate student panels and professionals working in the different fields of study (e.g., engineering, aviation, business, etc.).
• Six-week summer program on Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University’s campus designed to simulate the college learning environment and expose participants to what college life is like before they enroll on a prospective campus.
• During the summer program, the top 30 participants earn an opportunity to earn a spot on the end of the year trip. During this time Upward Bound will visit colleges around one major city. In the past we have visited Boston, New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.
• Financial planning for our participants and their families, as well as help with the search for funding support for our participants.
• Assistance in completing college entrance forms, scholarship applications, and financial aid applications. 
• Assistance in preparing for college entrance standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT.