Funding for Upward Bound to
be restored
In May of this year, the University of South Carolina
received notice from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that
our application for the renewal of Upward Bound services to Richland
County would not receive funding. According to ED, our application
and performance reports did not merit support in comparison to
applications submitted by other colleges and universities across
the nation. The Department made the same determination for nearly
100 other Upward Bound projects around the nation, including four
other projects in South Carolina (Florence-Darlington Technical
College, Morris College, USC Upstate, and USC Lancaster) and some
of the most recognized Upward Bound projects in the nation. The
Upward Bound project at the University of South Carolina had been
in operation a total of 41 years and accomplished an outstanding
record of student placement in higher education.
With the help of Congress, funding for most
of these Upward Bound projects, including all South Carolina projects,
will be restored this fall. The University of South Carolina
expects to have its projects up and running by the end of the
fall semester. The Upward Bound staff will contact students and
parents regarding the schedule of activities.
A great many people signed petitions and called
our members of Congress in support of Upward Bound. We are humbled
and grateful for this outpouring of support. We will continue
to work with our schools and the community to extend educational
opportunities and promote access to college for all who desire
to earn degrees.
