The Upward Bound program at Northwest-Shoals Community College has been funded $764,953 for the 2022-2023 fiscal year – an increase of more than 13 percent from the previous grant cycle – by the U.S. Department of Education.  

TRIO Upward Bound will provide five years of funding to help 158 local students per year find their paths to college. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 86 percent of Upward Bound participants enroll in postsecondary institutions immediately following high school graduation. 

“The Upward Bound Program, along with the other TRIO programs, is so important to the students in the communities we serve,” said NW-SCC President Dr. Jeff Goodwin. “These programs offer academic and support services to help remove barriers that hinder students from pursuing a postsecondary education. Without these programs, many students would not be able to realize their dreams of a college degree.”

NW-SCC houses an Upward Bound program on each of its two campuses. Each program should receive funding for the next five years.  

The Phil Campbell campus program, receiving $439,973, serves Belgreen, Haleyville, Muscle Shoals, Phil Campbell, Red Bay, Russellville, Tharptown and Vina high schools.

The Shoals campus program, receiving $324,980, serves Central, Colbert County, Colbert Heights, Florence, Lexington, Rogers, Sheffield, and Wilson high schools, along with the Florence Freshman Center.

The program is aimed at students in ninth through 12th grades who come from lower income backgrounds and will be the first in their families to graduate college. 

The program encourages individuals to complete two-year or four-year college degrees.  

The Upward Bound program is one of four TRIO programs, which also include Talent Search, Student Support Services and Upward Bound Math and Science at NW-SCC. The programs are 100 percent federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Students interested in applying for Upward Bound at NW-SCC can visit nwscc.edu/upward-bound. They can also contact Dr. Amber McCown, Upward Bound manager on the Phil Campbell campus, at 256-331-8128 or Dr. Jamie Flanagan, Upward Bound manager on the Shoals campus, at 256-331-5356.