[KHTS – Newsroom] Sixteen graduates from the College of the Canyons and William S. Hart Union High School District Upward Bound Program are expected to begin their first semester at COC after completing a college preparatory program designed to empower students to graduate from high school and continue their education at a college or university.

The COC Upward Bound program is the result of a five-year, roughly $1.25 million grant awarded to the college by the U.S. Department of Education meant to assist high school students that have the academic potential to succeed, but who need enrichment and encouragement in order to prepare for and ultimately be successful in college. COC, Hart District Empowers Students To Graduate, Attend College

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of our Upward Bound graduates. These students have worked very hard and will now be able to pursue their dream of a college education,” said Belinda Acuna, COC Upward Bound project director. “Our goal is to graduate and place all of our students at institutions of higher education, and this year we realized that goal with 100 percent of our graduates enrolling in college for the fall 2014 semester.”

Included among this year’s group of graduates are students headed to: University of California, Santa Barbara; Loyola Marymount University; California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; California State University, Northridge; and College of the Canyons.

The success of this year’s graduating class also coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the national Upward Bound program, which currently serves more than 80,000 students in 964 programs located across the country.

Based on the program’s continued success, grant funding for the COC Upward Bound program has been renewed for the upcoming 2014-15 school year.

More About the COC ‘Upward Bound’ Program

Launched in fall 2012, the COC Upward Bound program serves Golden Valley High School.

In order to be eligible for the program, students must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Have completed the eighth grade but have not entered the twelfth grade
Have a demonstrated need for academic support
Be a first generation college student from a low-income household (income that is 150 percent of the poverty-level) or have a high risk of academic failure
Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States