Leveling of the 'playing field': Upward Bound supports college options for students

Jul. 22—First-generation and low-income students can face significant barriers when pursuing higher education.

In order to help them reach their goals for college, Upward Bound offers academic resources and support to students at an economic and social disadvantage. The federal program was established in 1966 to provide academic assistance to low-income, first-generation high school students in order to increase the graduation and enrollment rates for colleges and universities.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the program is one facet of TRIO which refers to the three original college support programs that were funded under Title IV of the High Education Act which include Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and Student Support Services.

Students who apply for Upward Bound have access to academic advising, tutoring and assistance in applying for financial aid until they graduate from high school. In order to qualify, students must meet federal criteria to be classified as low-income and have parents who do not have a bachelor's degree or higher.

At least two thirds of the students accepted must meet both of these criteria while the remaining applicants must meet at least one, said Maria Moreno, director of Upward Bound Projects at Chico State University.

"Being the first means they often do not have access to someone who can provide the guidance needed to navigate the college system," Yuba College Upward Bound Director Kao Lee Vang said previously. "... Once in school, students may struggle academically and are not sure how to advocate for themselves or seek the help they need from their instructors."

Moreno said that many of the students who enter the program face significant financial and social barriers when looking toward higher education such as a lack of financial support from their families and emotional support from their peers.

"If you're the trailblazer in your family and will be the first in pursuing a bachelor's degree or moving away to college, it's understandable that you have feelings of not belonging or being good enough," Moreno said. "We aim to ensure our students understand there are support programs at every college so that they know where to access support and how to easily find resources to help them succeed in college."

While the program helps students attend the colleges of their choice, high schools in the Yuba-Sutter area have access to direct program assistance from either Yuba College or Chico State. Access to the colleges' Upward Bound programs depends on which school students attend.

Yuba City High School and River Valley High School are served by both institutes, but Lindhurst High School, Marysville High School and Live Oak High School are served by Chico State, according to the university's Upward Bound program website.

The program has been offered to students in the Yuba-Sutter area since the late 1980s, Moreno said.

A mandatory six-week summer program is required for Upward Bound members. Students are given the opportunity to take college preparatory classes on a college campus in order to academically prepare for their next school year. An optional residential program is offered to students who want to experience living in college dorms while attending summer classes. This year's Chico State residential program came to an end on Tuesday.

"All of the students left with a solid foundation with applications for colleges and (Universities of California)," said Nicolo Orozco, an English teacher at Meridian Elementary School and residential teacher with Upward Bound. Orozco also is a member of the Yuba City Unified School District Governing Board.

Orozco is a former participant in Upward Bound and started the program in his sophomore year of high school. Now as an educator, he wants to help students gain access to the same services that he received when working toward higher education.

"I enjoy working with students who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to experience college," Orozco said.

He was present on Chico State's campus to teach and offer advisory services to students who participated in the residential program. The classes assigned to each student depended on their career goals and high school course needs.

Members were assigned to different task teams to work on either collaborative or community service projects, Orozco said. Over the course of the summer program, students were able to organize a yearbook, arrange a multicultural fair or participate in a clean-up project for Bidwell Park.

Another aspect of the summer program is the weeklong college tour where 75 students tour college campuses across California. This week, 24 Yuba-Sutter students were able to visit Santa Clara University, UC Davis, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, Moreno said.

Students who participated in Upward Bound go on to experience success throughout their college career. The purpose of this program is to give students an equitable opportunity to pursue higher education.

"Our program evens the playing field. (Students) perhaps don't have the resources for private tutoring or college coaches and family members to walk them through the college application process, so we provide all that free of charge. Our students are just as capable of succeeding in college, and our goal is to ensure they leave our program knowing they have limitless options," Moreno said.