JOPLIN, Mo. – Missouri Southern’s Upward Bound program announced it will receive a grant totaling more than $1.6 million over the next half-decade.

School officials say the U.S. Department of Education will award $334,232 to the program every year for five years.

The purpose of Upward Bound is to prepare some high school students for post-secondary education.

“For students participating in the program, Upward Bound offers a variety of services designed to help them prepare for a successful transition into college,” said Robin Hicklin, director of the Missouri Southern program.

Hicklin further stated that Upward Bound will primarily benefit first-generation college students and many come from low-income families.

Officials say the MSSU Upward Bound program has been actively serving students from Southwest Missouri since 1999.

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