Texas A&M University-Kingsville

KINGSVILLE (News Release) — The Office of Student Access at Texas A&M University-Kingsville received two new grant awards from the United States Department of Education for their Upward Bound and Upward Bound Rural programs.

Together the programs serve 120 high school students. The Upward Bound program serves Alice and San Diego High Schools and H.M. King High School in Kingsville. Upward Bound Rural serves Premont, Raymondville and Falfurrias High Schools. Both programs were funded for five years and received more than $1.4 million each.

“These programs serve underrepresented, underserved students and their families by providing academic services to help students persist and complete high school while also providing college and career planning,” said Dr. Maria Martinez, associate vice president for student access. “The goals of Upward Bound are to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in, and graduate from, institutions of postsecondary education.”

The Upward Bound programs offer weekly individual and group tutoring and mentoring at the high schools, monthly Saturday Academies held at Texas A&M-Kingsville and a six-week summer component held on campus. When the time is right, students and their families receive assistance with completing ApplyTX and FAFSA, Martinez said.

They also receive academic support, career interest assessment and exploration, report card review and graduation advisement, financial literacy and financial aid advisement, ACT/SAT preparation, information about advance placement courses and skill building in critical thinking, communication, collaboration and self-regulation.

“Both programs are very important because they contribute to high school diploma and bachelor degree attainment levels in the region,” Martinez said. “Ultimately, the programs contribute to the economic health of the communities we serve. They help high school students achieve important academic milestones and begin planning their career pathways.

“The Upward Bound programs, along with all of our TRIO program grants are important because they align with Texas A&M-Kingsville’s mission to enrich lives through education, discovery and service in South Texas and beyond.”

For more information on Upward Bound or any of the other programs offered by the Office of Student Access, please visit the website at www.tamuk.edu/studentaccess.