A large group of high school students in the TRIO Upward Bound program sit on a stairwell on the Central State University campus
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Upward Bound

Welcome to Upward Bound

The Office of TRIO Upward Bound program (CSU-UB) is a pre-college program of robust academic instruction, tutoring, and counseling. CSU-UB provides high school students with an opportunity to enhance the academic skills necessary to successfully complete high school and enroll in and graduate from college.

Upward Bound is a year-round academic program with a summer component emphasis placed on language arts, mathematics, sciences, social sciences, and foreign languages. There is a six-week on-campus summer program (four weeks commuting and two weeks residential) that will enhance academic skills, introduce participants to campus life, teach college survival skills, increase their social skills, and provide entertainment activities. Participants will attend workshops, use computerized tutorials, and practice tests to improve their test-taking skills to enhance their SAT and ACT scores.

A Montgomery County, Ohio, high school student studies in the Upward Bound program

Required services

  • Academic tutoring
  • Advice and assistance in secondary and postsecondary course selection
  • Preparation for college entrance exams
    • Federal Pell Grant awards
    • Loan forgiveness
    • Scholarships
  • Information on federal student financial aid programs:
  • Assistance in completing financial aid applications, including federal student aid
    • Secondary school reentry
    • Alternative education programs for those who did not complete secondary school to earn a secondary school diploma
    • Entry into postsecondary education
  • Exposure to cultural events and academic programs
  • Work study aimed at giving our students a real-world office experience

Other guidance and assistance

Education or counseling services are designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students or the student’s parents, including financial planning for postsecondary education. This could include the following:

  • Mathematics through pre-calculus
  • Laboratory science
  • Foreign language
  • Composition
  • Literature

Other permissible services

In addition to the required services, Central State University Upward Bound provides a variety of other services to enhance the postsecondary learning experience.

  • Counseling and academic advising are key services offered year-round to help students solve personal, academic, and behavioral problems that impede success and assist them in discovering self-concept and social development.

  • Tutoring and supplemental instruction will aid each participant in improving their GPAs, helping them achieve academic excellence, and motivating them to increase their academic performance.

  • Career exploration will help participants choose a career suitable to their skills and explore different careers in their areas of interest.

  • Financial aid assistance helps students complete the necessary applications for admission and financial aid.

  • Cultural enrichment will provide participants with opportunities for social, leisure, and educational experiences.

  • Campus visits and college tours expose participants to postsecondary institutions in Ohio and the college environment.

  • Parent services increase awareness of the importance of college preparatory curriculum and understanding of the procedures necessary for postsecondary enrollment.

  • ACT test preparation prepares students for stellar performances on the ACT, increasing scholarship offers and postsecondary choices.

  • The work-study program aits to give Marauders real-world office experience.

Dayton, Ohio, area high school students learn robotics in Upward Bound at Central State University

Application procedure

Upward Bound offers an exciting opportunity for you to work toward your future educational goals, and we look forward to collaborating with you to achieve academic excellence. 

For program or application questions or more information, contact John O. Anene Jr. at 937-376-6496 or janene@centralstate.edu.

 

FAQs

Upward Bound exists for you, and we're here to help you advance in your educational journey. Scroll through our frequently asked questions below. 

  • The Upward Bound program provides educational opportunities for low-income and first-generation, college-bound students. You may apply if you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior at Jefferson, Meadowdale, or Thurgood Marshall high schools in Dayton and Jefferson Township, Ohio.

    You must also be considering attending college in the future. To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements: 

    • Be in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades.
    • Low-income*,
    • First-generation (neither parent has completed a four-year baccalaureate degree).
    • Have a GPA of 2.5 or less on a 4.0 scale. 

    *As defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Register, effective Jan. 12, 2022. Click here to view income level requirements.

  • The Central State University Upward Bound program is funded through the U.S. Department of Education. All services are provided at no cost to Upward Bound participants.

  • Each participant will receive $40 per month during the academic year and $60 for six weeks during the summer program.

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