FAMU was recently awarded a $1.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue to fund its TRIO Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Program. The grant will be paid out over five years and serve students from underserved backgrounds in high schools in Leon and Madison Counties.
FAMU’s goal is to increase students’ participation and success rates in mathematics and science pre-college courses, help students be college ready upon high school graduation, increase the pool of STEM (science technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors in college and prepare individuals for the workforce.
“We are very happy to have received renewal of the Upward Bound Math and Science program supporting students in the surrounding counties,” said William E. Hudson, Jr., Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs. “STEM programs are a strategic emphasis for the university. Making an investment in high school students through this program provides a pipeline of college ready students.”
The FAMU UBMS program provides tutoring, workshops, standardized test prep, educational field trips, career exploration, college application and financial aid assistance to its participants in an effort to help them find success early in high school and beyond.
Program participants can take part in a six-week residential summer program at FAMU during the summer.
“As a first-generation college student, I know first-hand the importance of having people to help guide you on your educational journey,” said Program Director Zaychina Nance, who has been with the FAMU TRIO programs for more than 20 years. “I have had the opportunity to witness students achieve what they thought was impossible.”
TRIO Programs are federal outreach programs designed to serve and assist low-wealth individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate degrees.
The traditional Upward Bound program was created in 1965 through President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty authorized under the Higher Education Act. The Upward Bound Math and Science program was created in the 1990s and has been a staple of the program at FAMU since then.
FAMU serves more than 2,500 students through its federal TRIO Programs. The programs consist of TRIO Upward Bound Math and Science, TRIO Student Support Services, TRIO Talent Search and the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center.