PCC Receives Award for Upward Bound Programs

Pasadena City College has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to receive a total of $1,064,775 per year for five years for its Upward Bound (UB) and Math/Science Upward Bound (MSUB) programs.

PCC’s UB Programs serve at-risk students, two-thirds of which will be both low-income and first-generation college students. UB and MSUB are two of the federal TRIO Programs whose purpose is to help disadvantaged students finish high school and enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

“It’s exciting to get the second grant,” Upward Bound Director Heba Griffiths said. “We’ve met and exceeded the requirements to be re-funded. And that means we’re serving more students, and helping more students go to college.”

PCC currently operates six TRIO Program grant projects. Program for Academic Support Services (PASS) has been in effect for more than 20 years. The classic Upward Bound programs serve Pasadena and Rosemead, while MSUB serves Pasadena, Mountain View, El Monte and South El Monte. Talent Search was added in 2011 and serves 500 eligible students at seven schools within three area school districts.

With the new MSUB and UB programs, PCC’s combined TRIO programs provide more than $1.5 million annually and in excess of $6.7 million over the five-year grant period.

For more information about Upward Bound, call (626) 585-7178.