Summer programs help future first-gen college students find support, connections

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — High school students interested in going to college face a daunting task, from choosing which schools to apply to, to navigating program options and paperwork. For those whose families have never attended college, there can be additional difficulties from lack of experience or awareness about the process.

The Upward Bound programs, housed in Penn State’s Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, aim to provide the resources and support they need to succeed. Funded through the federal Department of Education, the programs work with students who come from low-income backgrounds and will be the first in their families to get a four-year college degree.

“As a land-grant institution, Penn State has a responsibility to ensure that talent across the commonwealth has a pathway to higher education,” said SeriaShia Chatters, interim vice provost for educational equity. “TRIO Upward Bound brings that commitment to life by providing mentorship, academic preparation and immersive college experiences that help first-generation students build the confidence and foundation they need for long-term success.”

The Upward Bound program was established in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide opportunities for low-income families and students, based on comparisons of their lifestyles and experiences against those of higher-income families.

“It is very much about trying to equalize the playing field when it comes to post-secondary education,” said Leo Conway, director of the TRIO Upward Bound Programs at Penn State. “Students from low-income backgrounds can go on to become future engineers, architects, educators, lawyers and doctors. Those positions need to be filled by someone. We encourage our students that it can be them.”

The Upward Bound Programs at Penn State includes four standard projects and one focused on math and science. Students from nine different school districts across the commonwealth can sign up for the programs starting in ninth grade. Those students can then stay in the programs throughout high school, Conway said.

“We work to help them learn and understand what they don’t know about college,” Conway said. “They don’t have anyone in their immediate family who has gone to college before, so all of these students are interested in pursuing a college education but might not know what that means or how to accomplish it.”

Upward Bound program advisers are embedded into eligible high schools and meet with enrolled students on a weekly basis. During the school year, students also can participate in Saturday programming and campus visits.

In the summer, students participate in a six-week academy at Penn State campuses. This past year, the programs were held at University Park, in addition to selected Commonwealth Campuses to familiarize students with an area that might be nearer to their homes.

That hands-on experience can make a difference for students, who might be feeling overwhelmed as they look into options and considerations for college.

Anonymous feedback forms are available following the programs’ conclusion for feedback from students and their families.

“Moving from high school to college is a big step,” one participant said in a feedback form. “Having that opportunity where your Upward Bound advisers can sit down with you one-on-one and talk you through their experiences and how it can help you in the long run is so meaningful.”

“During the academic year, we're looking at career and college exploration,” Conway said. “We focus on applications, financial aid forms and scholarships for a college education. The summer program is really to replicate the college experience for students. We want them to see what it might be like to live on a college campus and take those classes, practicing their independence.”

Offering these programs through Penn State offers opportunities for special opportunities and classes, Conway said. Twenty of the students who participated during the summer 2025 session were able to visit Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, as well as a cadaver lab, as part of a class through Science U in the Eberly College of Science.

The experience often helps students to fall in love with a campus or program, and it gives them a better understanding of where they want to apply when they begin looking for colleges, Conway said. It also provides insight into how those decisions will inform their college experience and, potentially, future career opportunities.

“I so appreciate the team offering this opportunity for my child,” a parent said in a feedback form. “Through Upward Bound, my daughter now sees all that life has to offer. She’s discovered it’s important to get out there, explore, and learn new things. I don’t think I would have seen those changes if she hadn’t participated.”

Through the programming Penn State helps to facilitate, Conway said, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can learn to understand and navigate the entire college experience and process.

“Some of our students don’t know what majors exist, or what a major means for their college experience. They may not know what a bursar’s office is, or who to ask for that information,” Conway said. “We try to give them the tools to help bring them success during their college experience later on.”

Data collected during the programs’ tenure found that Upward Bound students at Penn State are seven times more likely to get into college than first-generation, low-income students who do not participate, Conway said. Students who participated in the programs are also five times more likely to complete their college degrees within six years after their high school graduation.

“When they’ve enrolled in college, they come back to us and say, ‘I never thought I could do it. College wasn’t on my radar until Upward Bound,’” Conway said. “They got the support they needed from us, but keep in mind, they always had to meet us halfway. Our students, when they begin their professional careers, become taxpayers, and the investment in them is paid back very quickly. The Upward Bound program is not a ‘hand out,’ but a ‘hand up.’”