Over 1,200 Arkansas students will participate in Upward Bound, which provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The goal of Upward Bound is to provide opportunities for students to reach success in high school, and ultimately in their higher education pursuits.

“It is important that we make every effort to provide our students who plan to enter an institution of higher learning with the knowledge and preparation needed to succeed,” Ross said. “The Upward Bound program is vital to helping Arkansas’s young people receive a world class education so that they may secure jobs in the ever changing global economy.”

"Upward Bound is a valuable program that helps thousands of students in Arkansas and across the country reach their full academic potential," Lincoln said. "These federal dollars will allow our colleges and universities to continue to expand educational opportunities to students across Arkansas."

“Upward Bound’s innovative curriculum expands students horizons on both personal and academic levels,” said Pryor. “These funds are well deserved and will make a positive, lasting impact on the participants, their families and local communities.”

Upward Bound, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, serves high school students from low-income families, high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree, and low-income, first-generation military veterans who are preparing to enter postsecondary education.