TRIO Upward Bound

TRIO Upward Bound is a federally-funded TRIO program that helps to prepare eligible high school students for success in postsecondary education.

The program is active year-round and offers Saturday, after-school and summer activities.

PennWest California hosts two Upward Bound programs, for Fayette and Greene counties.

The Fayette Project serves as many as 93 students per year in the Albert Gallatin Area, Brownsville Area, Connellsville Area, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area school districts.

The Monongahela Project serves up to 63 students per year in Carmichaels Area, Jefferson-Morgan, Waynesburg Central and California Area schools.

Who Is Eligible?

You may be eligible for Upward Bound if:

You attend one of the program's target high schools; AND
Neither parent/guardian has earned a bachelor's (four-year) degree; AND/OR
Your family's income falls within federal guidelines.

Eligibility criteria for Upward Bound are established by the U.S. Department of Education.

Students can apply for admission beginning in the spring of their 8th-grade year and participate in the program until graduation from high school.

What Does the Program Offer?

Academic assistance.
College tours and the National College Fair in Pittsburgh.
College and career planning.
Tutoring, study skills and career courses.
College application assistance and fee waivers.
Help with financial aid applications and scholarship searches.
SAT preparation, registration assistance and fee waivers.
Family workshops on college planning and financial aid.
Field trips to museums, college fairs, historical sites and other educational destinations.
Cultural, social and recreational opportunities.
Preparation for the PSSA and Keystone exams.
Rigorous course credits for college.

Learn more about TRIO Student Success Services

What is Expected of Students?

As an Upward Bound student, you are expected to attend and actively participate in program activities, to challenge yourself at your high schools by enrolling (and achieving good grades in) a challenging college preparatory curriculum, to earn good grades, to take the SAT and/or ACT in your junior and senior years, and to apply for admission to no fewer than four colleges or universities during your senior year.

If you wish to join Upward Bound, you should be fully committed to the goal of enrolling in college immediately after high school.

How Do You Join?

If you are interested in Upward Bound, call 724-938-4470 (Fayette Project) or 724-938-1691 (Monongahela Project), email upwardboundcal@pennwest.edu, or stop by your school's guidance office to request an application packet.

Contact Us

Office location: Manderino Library, Suite 430
Email: upwardboundcal@pennwest.edu
Phone: 724-938-4470
Fax: 724-938-5738

Mailing Address
Upward Bound
PennWest California
Campus Box 76
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419-1394