What is Upward Bound?

Upward Bound at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise is a pre-college, academic support program designed to better serve the citizens of Southwest Virginia by providing academic, cultural and counseling services to its low income, first generation high school students in the three area high schools through an academic year component and the summer program.  The program enhances academic and motivational skills enabling students to enroll in post-secondary education and to be successful in today’s society.

The program recruits participants from 3 high schools from the target area, which include Eastside, Central, and Ridgeview.

The Upward Bound Program is one of the TRiO programs that is fully funded by the U. S. Department of Education.  Upward Bound has been at UVa-Wise since 1967.

The program has six required objectives listed below.

Program Objectives

  • Academic Performance(GPA): 80% of participants served during the project year will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a four-point scale at the end of the school year.

  • Academic Performance on Standardized Test: 90% of UB seniors served during the project year will have achieved at the proficient level on state assessments in reading/language arts and math

  • Secondary School Retention and Graduation: 95% of project participants served during the project year will continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level, or will have graduated from secondary school with a regular secondary school diploma

  • Secondary School Graduation: 65% of all current and prior year UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate with a regular secondary school diploma

  • Postsecondary Enrollment: 65% of all current and prior UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will enroll in a program of postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester)

  • Postsecondary Completion: 40% of participants, who enrolled in a program of postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or by the next academic term (e.g. spring term) as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment, will attain either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree within six years following graduation from high school