KU TRIO Programs receive more than $4.5 million in federal funding

LAWRENCE -- A group of programs at the University of Kansas that serve underrepresented and low-income students recently received additional federal funding of more than $4.5 million, officials said.

The funding will be used to support KU's TRIO Programs, which include the McNair Scholars Program, the Upward Bound program, the Upward Bound Math and Science Center, and the Veterans Upward Bound program.

"This is our way of ensuring that all students have a chance to make good grades and attend the state's institutions of higher learning," said Ngondi Kamatuka, director of educational opportunity programs at KU.

Mulubrhan Misgana, a junior from Lenexa, is one of the students benefiting from the McNair Scholars Program, which helps low-income, first-generation college students and underrepresented minorities. She said the program has introduced her to research opportunities, lined her up with mentors and advisers, and provided much-needed assistance when applying for graduate school and scholarships. When she graduates from KU, Misgana said, she wants to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology and eventually teach.

"I've always been trying to get some help since I started college," she said. "So for me to have this program, it has definitely had a positive effect on me, my family and my friends."

Of the more than $4.5 million, more than $1 million will go to the McNair Scholars Program; $1.5 million will go to the Upward Bound program, which helps selected high school students prepare for college; more than $1 million will go to the Upward Bound Math and Science Center, which helps selected high school students strengthen their math and science skills; and $1.1 million will go to Veterans Upward Bound, which serves the needs of veterans who are trying to complete their high school or college education.

Kamatuka said the TRIO Programs have been highly successful over the years, with 96 percent of participants graduating from high school and 90 percent of those students immediately going on to postsecondary education.

Within the next two years, he said, the McNair Scholars Program, which began at KU in 1992, will have its first wave of participants to complete their doctoral studies.

Robert Rodriguez, project coordinator for the McNair Scholars Program at KU, said the funding for the TRIO Programs was the result of bipartisan support from lawmakers in Washington, D.C., including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts and Congressman Dennis Moore.

Rodriguez said the programs not only benefit the students but they also serve the general public by helping to create an educated population.

"It is always great to see the students excelling and to think that maybe we played some role in their success and, hopefully, we changed some lives," he said.

Congress established the TRIO programs in 1965 to provide education opportunities for all Americans, regardless of race, ethnic background or socioeconomic status.

Additional information for the programs follows:

McNair Scholars Program is aimed at low-income, first-generation college students as well as underrepresented minority students. The program helps prepare these undergraduates to be successful in graduate school by pairing them with a mentor to conduct research. Students devote an entire summer to their research; the program is so intense that students usually cannot hold a job, so the program allots a stipend and room and board allowance to each student. For more information contact Robert Rodriguez, program coordinator, at (785) 864-9627, or visit www.ku.edu/~mcnair.

Upward Bound program includes about 65 high school students from Wyandotte and Douglas counties and selected high schools in Shawnee County who participate in a year-round program and an intensive summer institute at KU to prepare for college. Students with a 2.0 grade-point average who demonstrate a desire to improve academically and to go on to college are considered. The program serves students of all races. For more information, contact Patti Fugitt or Vincent Edwards in KU's School of Education, (785) 864-3415 or toll free (877) 842-5232, or visit www.ku.edu/~eop/UpwardBound.

Upward Bound Math and Science Center helps students from low-income families strengthen math and science skills. In addition, students learn computer technology as well as English, foreign language and study skills. More than 124 programs serve students throughout the country. For more information call toll-free (877) 842-5232.

Veterans Upward Bound currently serves 120 veterans. It gives qualifying veterans the skill and motivation necessary to complete a GED program or to enter and succeed in a postsecondary education program. To learn more about the program visit www.ku.edu/~vub/.