Students, along with parents, may need financial assistance when it comes to education, especially college. Upward Bound is a federally funded program that assists high school students with low-income families or first-generation college students. The program accepts 65 students from Roseburg, Douglas, and South Umpqua high schools every year.
In this program, students get a few trips to view different colleges in Oregon and monthly seminars. They focus on helping students build their career/college opportunities. Along with this, students get a monthly paycheck of $40. Upward Bound includes a six-week summer academy as well. For those who are struggling academically, the program has year-round tutoring for all school subjects, including languages.
Nicole Jaki, the advisor for Roseburg’s Upward Bound, answered some questions surrounding the program. What attracted her to Upward Bound was the impact it had on students. “Before I joined the Upward Bound team, I was part of the AmeriCorps program here in Douglas County where I mentored youth and aided them in coming up with a plan for life after high school. During my AmeriCorps time, I was able to chaperone a few field trips with Upward Bound and realized that working with Upward Bound would be such a fulfilling job to obtain.” Nicole Jaki also thinks the program is impactful for various reasons, saying, “We provide students with engaging activities that demonstrate real-life situations. We help students with the transition from high school to college. We aid in college selection and the admissions process, along with understanding the financial aid process. UB creates close-knit groups and life-long friendships, which I view as one of the most important ways the program is impactful.”
Students can still join UB; in fact, they encourage RHS students to do so. The advisor said, “They can join by filling out our online application on UCC’s website or they can come to the Career Center and grab a paper application from us to fill out.” There are a few requirements for getting into the Upward Bound program. Students that are either lower-income and/or will be first-generation college graduates fulfill the basic criteria to get into the program. First-generation means that neither parent/guardian has received a Bachelor’s Degree. Once you are accepted into the program, there are some requirements for staying in the program. Nicole Jaki also states, “Students will attend a weekly meeting with their Upward Bound advisor, attending activities and events, and attending our six-week Summer Academic Program.”
Upward Bound is a great program for those who may have trouble with college and life after high school. They provide free tutoring, financial aid lessons, and assist in the college application process. Students do not have to worry about having a college in mind. Upward Bound helps with that as well.