Eligibility

Who is eligible for Upward Bound?


We wish we could serve every high school student! But studies show that there are a few factors that make going to college extra difficult, so our grant requires that a certain percentage of our program participants are affected by these factors. These factors are: family income, family college attendance, and student grade level and location.

  1. Family income: students may qualify if their family income is considered "low", which depends on how many family members live in the home and federal guidelines that may change each year.
  2. Family college attendance: students may qualify if their parents or legal guardians do not have a 4-year college degree themselves.
  3. All students must be entering grades 9-12 within one of these four high schools: St. Cloud Apollo High School, St. Cloud Technical High School, Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, or Willmar High School.

NOTE: Only #3 is a requirement for enrollment - students who meet criteria #1 and/or #2 are prioritized for enrollment into the program.


To confirm eligibility, students and a parent/legal guardian will meet with one of our Program Advisors. In this meeting, we will also get to know the student's:

  • Interest in going to college
  • Motivation to succeed in high school
  • Willingness to stay in the program until high school graduation
  • Willingness to attend most Saturday sessions
  • Willingness to attend the 6-week summer program