Colorado Mesa University has received a federal grant for a program supporting students from two Grand Valley high schools.

Students in ninth and 10th grades at Grand Junction and Central high schools can apply for the TRIO Upward Bound program for the 2023-24 academic year. Applicants must be between the ages of 13 and 19, completed eighth grade and demonstrate financial need or identify as a first-generate college student.

CMU is the latest educational institution in Colorado to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education for the Upward Bound program. Under the grant for CMU, Upward Bound will serve 60 students at a time — 30 each from Grand Junction and Central high schools.

Shelby Burroughs Pryzgoda, project director for Upward Bound at CMU, leads efforts to increase interest and enrollment in college among local high school students.

“We start working with students right after they graduate from eighth grade through the summer after their senior year. We’re watching these students develop over time and helping them with their goals, both for college and career,” Pryzgoda said. “We are also coming alongside their families. As first-generation students, we understand their families may not have the background knowledge of what to look for when choosing a college and how to explore majors, and especially the financial piece.”

Upward Bound places high school counselors within the district to work with students to develop action plans to get them through high school as well as prepare them for higher education. Counselors also provide information and resources to students’ families.

“Many of our students are low-income and have never left the valley, so we’re providing opportunities for them to see what options are out there in the world and to also see themselves as a college student,” Pryzgoda said. “So far, it’s been really encouraging to see both administrators at the CMU level as well as at the school district and how eager they are to support students and how excited they are about the conversation around college access.”

To apply for the Upward Bound program at Colorado Mesa University, visit the website at https://coloradomesa.edu/upward-bound/apply.