U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy from Winter Park, Fla., today announced that two universities in her central Florida district will be receiving over $1 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando will receive $772,500 in grant funding, while Rollins College in Winter Park will be awarded $322,335. The grants will be used to administer “Upward Bound” programs designed to prepare low-income high school students for college.
“UCF and Rollins College already provide outstanding education to tens of thousands of central Florida students, and I’m so proud to see they are doing more to strengthen the pipeline to college for students from underserved communities,” said Rep. Murphy. “These grants will provide UCF and Rollins with critical resources to maintain a full range of counseling and tutoring services to help students graduate high school and attain a college degree. As a firm believer in the power of education, I’ll keep fighting for investments that lift up students and put them on a path to success.”
“We are elated to be awarded three Upward Bound grants,” said Dr. Rebekah McCloud, Director of the University of Central Florida’s SDES TRIO Center. “Our center now houses seven TRIO grants: two Student Support Services programs for college undergraduates, two Talent Search programs for middle and high school students and adults ages 19-27, and now the three new Upward Bound grants for high schoolers. This represents more than $8 million dollars in federal funding.”
“We are deeply grateful to the Department of Education for the opportunity to serve students in Central Florida through the Upward Bound grant,” said Micki Meyer, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Community at Rollins College. “The Upward Bound Program at Rollins College is committed to access in higher education by providing selected high school students from underserved backgrounds with innovative curriculum, positive mentoring and strategies for college success. We are proud of all of the students, teachers and staff who dedicate their time and talent to making a difference and are excited to continue this important work through this new federal grant.”
Upward Bound projects serve high school students from low-income families and from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to help more students complete their secondary education while preparing them to enroll in, and graduate from, institutions of higher education.
