University of Louisville officials have announced it will extend its "Upward Bound" college prep program to three more Jefferson County public high schools.U of L will receive two federal grants totaling $3.3 million to serve some 160 high school students over the next five years.Over the last decade, U of L president James Ramsey says nearly 85 percent of students participating in the Upward Bound program have graduated college.The program itself offers students a chance to receive year-round instruction in core subjects and students remain in the program through their first year of college.According to the U.S. Department of Education--which oversees the program--colleges and universities must provide the following:
Academic tutoring to enable students to complete secondary or postsecondary courses, which may include instruction in reading, writing, study skills, mathematics, science and other subjects;
Advice and assistance in secondary and postsecondary course selection;
Assistance in preparing for college entrance examinations and completing college admission applications;
Information on the full range of Federal student financial aid programs and benefits (including Federal Pell Grant awards and loan forgiveness) and resources for locating public and private scholarships;
Guidance on and assistance in secondary school reentry; alternative education programs for secondary school dropouts that lead to the receipt of a regular secondary school diploma; entry into general educational development (GED) programs or entry into postsecondary education; and
Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students or the students’ parents, including financial planning for postsecondary education
Any project that has received funds for at least two years must include as part of its core curriculum in the next and succeeding years, instruction in mathematics through pre-calculus; laboratory science; foreign language; composition; and literature.
Since U of L began its program in 1966, nearly 3,500 high school students have participated in Upward Bound.“There has to be some initiative and some self starter and the desire to do extra work so that they can be successful going to college," said Ramsey.In all 14 JCPS high schools now participate in the partnership with U of L. Southern, Jeffersontown and Ballard high schools are the newest to be included.“There’s a summer part when they actually stay on campus, stay in the dorms and then get to go home on the weekends," said Bryce Hibbard, principal of Southern High School.Hibbard said he expects maybe 10 Southern High School students to participate this year.Ramsey said every student at least enrolls in college.
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