SANFORD - The TRiO Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math & Science Programs at Central Carolina Community College are accepting applications. There are still spaces available for eligible students in the 9th and 10th grades from Lee and Harnett County high schools. Eighth grade students may apply now for entrance into the program at the start of 9th grade.

The pre-college programs prepare high school students for successful college entrance and completion. Participants are offered academic assistance, test preparation, support with the college admission process, and help with financial aid and finding scholarships. They are also given the opportunity to visit colleges, explore careers, participate in community service projects, and attend cultural enrichment trips. Students meet once a month on a Saturday and for six weeks each summer in the summer programs.

Successful applicants will be students who want to attend college and are committed to participating in the program through their senior year of high school.

Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math & Science are federal TRiO programs that provide fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. The goal of Upward Bound Math & Science is to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science and to encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in math and science, and ultimately careers in the math and science professions.

Central Carolina Community College's Upward Bound programs are funded by annual grants from the U.S. Department of Education. For the fiscal year 2018-19, award amounts totaled $315,125 for Upward Bound Math & Science, $315,075 for Upward Bound in Harnett County, and $315,016 in Lee County.

To learn about the requirements for joining CCCC's TRiO Upward Bound programs, visit www.cccc.edu/ub or contact the TRIO Upward Bound office at 919-718-7576 or ub@cccc.edu.