The University of Massachusetts Boston TRiO Upward Bound Program is an intensive, year-round academic program whose mission is to assist students in grades 9 thru 12 in the successful completion of high school and to prepare them for post-secondary education by providing them with rigorous and nurturing academic courses as well as culturally enriching activities.

Background Information

Founded in 1965, Upward Bound is a TRIO program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. As a TRiO program, Upward Bound's overarching goal is to help students to overcome class, academic, social, and cultural barriers to higher education. In addition to the Upward Bound Program housed at UMass Boston, there are 681 programs in operation throughout the United States and its territories.

UMASS Boston Upward Bound students attend workshops, seminars and academic classes in M.C.A.S.- and S.A.T.-preparation, literature, composition, mathematics, history, science, computer science, and foreign language after school and during the six-week, residential summer session. Other Program services include: one-on-one and small-group tutoring; assistance in applying to college and for financial aid; personal, academic, career and financial counseling; and workplace and college visits.

The UMass Boston Upward Bound Program serves one hundred low-income, first- generation-college-bound students recruited from Dorchester Educational Complex, Jeremiah E. Burke, Madison Park, South Boston Educational Complex and West Roxbury Educational Complex.