Highland Community College’s TRIO Upward Bound Program, an early intervention program for high school students wanting to attend college, has been notified that it will not receive its grant funding for the next academic year and will cease offering student services as of August 31. According to the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Upward Bound, one of eight federally-funded TRIO services through the Department of Education, had their programming budget cut by $49 million during last year’s budget negotiations. As a result, eighteen states are losing 25 percent of student programming, with some geographic areas losing more than 40 percent of existing programs. The COE has noted a perceived funding discrepancy in the distribution between rural and urban locations. “Although our need over the years has stayed relatively consistent in our target areas, it appears that this particular federal funding is flowing to areas of greater need,” said Highland’s Director of Upward Bound Janet Kaiser.
http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/Highlands_Upward_Bound_Program_to_Close_Amid_Lack_of_Federal_Funding_156025055.html?ref=055
