Upward Bound is funded under the Title IV Higher Education Act of 1965. It is an initiative implemented under President Johnson’s Administration, and its goal is to break the cycle of poverty. It proposes to do this by offering low-income, first generation students an opportunity to go to college. Upward Bound embraces a rigorous academic curriculum as well as academic support such as tutoring, and individual and group counseling. In addition, it provides educational and cultural activities which serve to broaden its participants’ horizons toward higher education.
The Upward Bound Program at Mississippi Valley State University is comprised of two components. The Summer Year Component (SY) is a six weeks session where students live on campus to get a feel of college life. The Academic Year component is made up of twenty Saturdays, and students are enrolled in three academic classes that they are currently enrolled in at their high schools. The Upward Bound Program at Mississippi Valley State University provides services for 160 ninth through twelfth grade students from Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore, and Sunflower Counties. The Upward Bound Project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.