Recently, Missouri State received $253,458 from the Department of Education for the TRIO Upward Bound program. This program is designed to find and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as low-income individuals, first generation college students and individuals with disabilities. This grant should be funded for a total of five years.

To receive the grant, the MSU TRIO Upward Bound program proposed to offer an 8-week ACT Preparatory course to students as a means to increase their familiarity with the exam, improve study skills and test-taking strategies, and ultimately increase their tests scores and opportunities for college admissions. In addition to the test preparation, the program will offer weekly tutoring and in-school meetings, Saturday sessions, cultural, academic and career exploration activities, and a 6-week summer enrichment program. Together with key personnel and support from the host institution, parents and the community, the MSU TRIO Upward Bound program will succeed in graduating more underserved student populations from high school and enrolling them in 4-year post-secondary institutions.