About Us

Our Mission

Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. We serve high school students from low-income families and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree.

The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.

Our History

Upward Bound was the first of a series of Federal Programs founded by Congress and the Johnson Administration through the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act. Later, when Student Support Services and Educational Opportunity Centers were also funded, these grants all became known as the TRiO Programs. Now the term TRiO also includes Educational Talent Search, Veterans Upward Bound and the McNair Scholars programs.

California Lutheran University has the distinction of having four TRIO programs on campus; two Traditional Upward Bound, an Upward Bound Math Science Center and a Student Support Services program. The TRIO Upward Bound Programs have been on Cal Lutheran's campus since 1980 and currently serve year-round services to a minimum of 221 students. Combined with our Student Support Services on campus over 400 students are served on a yearly basis.