FY 2022 

Veterans Upward Bound 

Technical Assistance 

Pre-application Webinar

Presenters: 

Andrea Wilson

Dana Foreman 

Shaketa Whitehead
This document is a brief summary of the program 

regulations and application requirements. Do not 

rely solely on the information within this document. 

Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications and 

the program regulations published in the Federal 

Register for additional information, as these are the 

official documents governing the competition

2
Introduction

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00273722-

instructions.pdf

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triovub/applicant.html
April 26, 2022 - June 10, 2022
How to Ask a Question

If you have any questions during the 

presentation, please follow the instructions 

below. 

Use the Q&A function to ask a question: 

1) Along the bottom of the webinar 

window, find and click the Q&A button. 

The Q&A panel will then expand on your 

screen

2) Input your question into the Q&A box

3) Click Send

If you have additional questions after today’s webinar session, please direct them to the following email address:

UpwardBound@ed.gov
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How Did We Get Started

The Federal TRIO Programs are educational 

opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate 

and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

TRIO consists of 7 outreach and support programs targeted 

to serve and assist low-income, first generation college, and 

disabled students to progress through the academic pipeline

from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.

Under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, Upward Bound

was the first TRIO program created. In 1976, Upward Bound 

expanded to serve returning veterans and thus

Veterans Upward Bound Program was formed.
Veterans 

Upward 

Bound 

Regulations 

& Legislation

 34 CFR Part 645, amended to implement 

changes made to the Higher Education 

Act(HEA) of 1965 by the Higher Education 

Opportunity Act(HEOA) of 2008.

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/

hea08/index.html

 Final regulations amending Part 645 were 

published in the Federal Register on October 

26, 2010

 Laws, Regulations, and Guidance at the 

following address:

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triovub/legisl

ation.html

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9
Veterans 

Upward 

Bound 

Maximum 

Award 

Amounts

10

New Applicants

• All New projects are eligible to receive 

a maximum of $287,537 to serve a 

minimum of 125 participants

Current grantees may 

request:

• An amount equal to the applicant’s 

base award amount for FY 2021 (to 

continue to serve at least the same 

number of participants that was 

approved for the current grant; as 

reflected on the most recent grant 

award notification)
Who is 

Eligible 

to Apply 

for a 

Grant?

11

Institutions of higher education.

Public or private agencies or organizations, 

including community-based organizations 

with experience in serving disadvantaged 

youth.

Secondary school schools

Combinations of the types of institutions, 

agencies, and organizations.
Who is 

Eligible to 

Participate 

in 

Veterans 

Upward 

Bound?

12

U.S. citizen or national of the United States

A permanent resident of the United States

Is in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and 

provides evidence from the Immigration and the Naturalization 

Service of his or her intent to become a permanent resident 

( U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services)

A permanent resident of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or 

the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

A resident of the Freely Associated States-the Federated States of 

Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic 

of Palau
 The Individual is:

 A potential first-generation college student;

 A low-income individual; or

 An individual who has a high risk for 

academic failure

 Has a need for academic support

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Who May Participate in the 

Veterans Upward Bound 

14

Veterans who served on active 

duty in the U. S. Armed 

Forces for more than 180 days 

and was discharged or released 

under conditions other than 

dishonorable;

Veterans who were discharged 

because of a serviceconnected disability;

A member of a reserve 

component of the Armed 

Forces of the U.S. and was 

called to active duty for a 

period of more than 30 days;

A member of a reserve 

component of the Armed 

Forces of the U.S. who served 

on active duty in support of a 

contingency operation on or 

after September 11, 2001.


Need for 

Academic 

Support

17

Participants MUST 

have an identified need 

for “Academic” 

support 

Social and emotional 

needs alone do not 

make an individual 

eligible for participation
18

Who is deemed to have a “high risk for academic failure”?

 Has been out of high school or dropped out of a program of 

postsecondary education for five years or more

 Has scored on standardized tests below the level that demonstrates a 

likelihood of success in a program of postsecondary education

 Meets the definition of an individual with a disability as defined in 

645.6(b)
Veterans 

Upward 

Bound 

Required 

Services

Academic tutoring

Advice and assistance in secondary and 

postsecondary course selection

Preparation for college entrance exams 

and completion of college admission 

applications

Information on federal student financial 

aid programs: Federal Pell grant awards; 

Loan forgiveness; Scholarships

Assistance completing financial aid 

applications: Free Application for 

Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 19
Required 

Services

(Continued)

20

Guidance on and Assistance in:

• Secondary school reentry;

• Alternative education programs 

for secondary school dropouts 

that lead to the receipt of a 

regular secondary school 

diploma:

• Entry into postsecondary 

education; and

Education or counseling 

services designed to improve 

the financial and economic 

literacy of veterans, including 

financial planning for 

postsecondary education.

Financial 

and 

Economic 

Literacy

Helping veterans 

to understand:

Credit building principles to meet 

long term and short-term goals 

(including credit scores)

Cost of planning for postsecondary 

education 

(saving, personal budgeting, etc)

Cost of college attendance, the 

difference between public vs. private, 

(tuition vs. fees)

Scholarships, grants and loans 

(application process and variances 

between private and government 

loans)

Completing of the Free Application 

for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Veterans 

Upward 

Bound 

Program

Additional 

Services 

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Provide intensive basic skills 

development in those academic 

subjects required for successful 

completion of a high school 

equivalency program and for 

admission to postsecondary 

education programs; 

Provide short-term remedial or 

refresher courses for veterans who are 

high school graduates but who have 

delayed pursuing postsecondary 

education. If the grantee is an 

institution of higher education, these 

courses shall not duplicate courses 

otherwise available to veterans at the 

institution; 
Veterans 

Upward 

Bound 

Program

Additional 

Services

(Continued)

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Assist veterans in securing support 

services from other locally available 

resources such as the Veterans 

Administration, State veterans' 

agencies, veterans' associations, and 

other State and local agencies that 

serve veterans; and 

Provide special services, including 

mathematics and science 

preparation, to enable veterans to 

make the transition to 

postsecondary education. 

Veterans 

Upward Bound 

Competitive 

Preference 

Priority-#1

(Up to 3 additional 

points)

Demonstrates a Rationale

 Under this priority, an applicant 

proposes a project that demonstrates a 

rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1).

 Demonstrates a rationale means a key 

project component included in the 

project's logic model is informed by 

research or evaluation findings that 

suggest the project component is likely to 

improve relevant outcomes. 
Veterans Upward 

Bound 

Competitive 

Preference 

Priority-#2

(Up to 3 additional 

points)

Meeting Students’ Social, 

Emotional, and Academic Needs

Projects that are designed to improve 

students’ social, emotional, academic, and 

career development, with a focus on 

underserved students, the following areas:

(a) Developing and supporting educator and 

school capacity to support social and 

emotional learning and development that is 

trauma-informed, such as addressing 

exposure to community-based violence and 

trauma specific to military-or veteranconnected students. 

(b) Creating education or work-based settings 

that are supportive, positive, identify-safe and 

inclusive regarding race, ethnicity, culture, 

language, and disability status, through 

developing trusting relationships between 

students (including underserved students), 

educators, families, and community partners. 
Veterans 

Upward Bound 

Competitive 

Preference 

Priority-#3

(3 additional points)

Strengthening Cross-Agency Coordination & 

Community Engagement to Advance Systemic 

Change

Projects that are designed to take a systemic evidencebased approach to improving outcomes for underserved 

students by establishing cross agency or communitybased partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, 

businesses, philanthropic organizations, or others, to 

meet family well-being needs.
Competitive 

Preference

Priority 

Definitions

The definitions below are from 34 CFR 77.1.

• Demonstrates a rationale

• Evidence-based 

• Logic Model 

Note: In developing logic models, applicants 

may want to use resources such as the Regional 

Educational Laboratory Program’s (REL Pacific) 

Education Logic

Model Application, available at: 

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/el

m.asp, to help design their logic models. 

Other sources include: 

• https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/

pdf/REL_2014025.pdf

• https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/

pdf/REL_2014007.pdf

• https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northea

st/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf
Application Narrative

Clearly state 

your goals

Identify the 

eligible target 

area

Determine the 

best program 

design for your 

project and 

your 

participants

Recommended 

limit of 65-

pages
Target Area

A discrete local or regional geographical area. 
Section Maximum Points

Need 24

Objectives 9

Plan of Operation 30

Applicant and Community Support 16

Quality of Personnel 8

Budget and Cost Effectiveness 5

Evaluation Plan 8

Total 100 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Competitive Preference Priorities (up to 3 points each) 9

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Number of Points 109

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Need for the Project

Maximum Points: 24

Sub Criteria: 4
Criteria for Demonstrating Need

for Veterans Upward Bound 

34

The target area lacks the 

services for eligible 

veterans that the 

applicant proposes to 

provide

A large number of 

veterans who reside in the 

target area are lowincome & first-generation 

college students

A large number of 

veterans in the target area 

have not completed high 

school or have not 

enrolled in postsecondary 

education

Other indicators of need, 

including unaddressed 

academic or socioeconomic problems
Objectives

Maximum Points: 9

Sub Criteria: 6
Veterans Upward Bound Objectives

36

There are Four 

Standardized 

Objectives:

Standardized 

Objectives are found on 

the Veterans Upward 

Bound Program Profile 

form.

MUST include all FOUR 

Standardized 

Objectives in your 

application.

MUST provide the 

percentages that your 

project proposes to 

achieve for each 

Standardized Objective.

The Objectives may 

not be rewritten, 

restated or reworded.

Applicants may propose 

additional objectives 

but are not required.
Objectives 

(Continued)

37
38
39
40
41
Maximum Points: 30

Sub Criteria: 10
Plan of 

Operation 

(Continued)

43

The plan to inform the faculty and staff at 

the applicant institution or agency and the 

interested individuals and organizations 

throughout the target area of the goals and 

objectives of the project;

The plan for identifying, recruiting and 

selecting participants to be served by the 

project;

The plan for assessing individual participant 

needs and for monitoring the academic 

progress of participants while they are in 

Veterans Upward Bound;
Plan of Operation (Continued)

44

The plan for locating the project within the applicant’s organizational 

structure;

The curriculum, services and activities that are planned for participants in 

both the academic year and summer components;

The planned timelines for accomplishing critical elements of the project;

The plan to ensure effective and efficient administration of the project, 

including, but not limited to, financial management, student records 

management, and personnel management;
Plan of Operation (Continued)

45

The applicant’s plan to use its resources and personnel to achieve 

project objectives and to coordinate the Veterans Upward Bound 

project with other projects for disadvantaged students;

The plan to work cooperatively with key administrative, teaching 

and counseling personnel in the target area to achieve project 

objectives; and

A follow-up plan for tracking graduates of Veterans Upward Bound 

as they enter and continue in postsecondary education.

Maximum Points: 16

Sub Criteria: 2
48
49
Maximum Points: 8

Sub Criteria: 3
51
Maximum Points: 5 

Sub Criteria: 2 
 

Budget 

The budget for the project is 

adequate to support planned 

project services and activities; 

and 

Costs are reasonable in relation 

to the objectives and scope of 

the project. 

53 
 

 

Allowable Costs 

In-service staff 

training 

Rental of space (if 

not available at 

host institution) 

Purchase, lease, 

or rental of 

computer 

equipment & 

software 

Stipend-For VUB 

projects, may not 

exceed $40 

Educational 

pamphlets and 

material 

Student activity 

fees 

Admissions fees, 

transportation, 

and other costs 

One banquet or 

ceremony 

54 
 

 

 

 

 

Unallowable Costs 

Research not directly related to the evaluation or improvement of the 

project. 

Meals for staff except as provided in 645.40(d). 

Room and board for participants in VUB projects. 

Construction, renovation or remodeling of any facilities. 

Tuition, stipends, or any other form of student financial aid for project 

staff beyond that provided to employees of the grantees as part of its 

regular fringe benefit package. 

55 

57
58
What Other Requirements Must A

Grantee Meet?

59

Number of Participants

• A grantee must employ a full-time project director, unless:

• The director is also administering 1-2 additional programs for 

disadvantaged students operated by the sponsoring 

institution/organization 

• The Secretary grants a waiver of this requirement.

• Grantee allows director with sufficient authority to administer the 

project effectively.

• The Secretary waves the requirement of a waiver if the grantee 

demonstrates that the director will be able to effectively administer 

more than three programs.

Project Director
60
Submission 

Logistics
62
Other 

Attachment 

Forms

Additional documents that 

Do Not count toward page 

limit recommendation:

Application Face Sheet (SF-424)

Table of Contents

ED Abstract Form

VUB Program Profile Form

Federal Budget Form (ED-524)

Assurances, certifications, and 

survey form

Competitive Priorities

63
VUB Program Profile Form

64

Each applicant must fill 

out a separate profile 

form.

Current Grantees. If 

submitting multiple 

applications, indicate if 

this application should be 

designated for PE points

List all target areas to be 

served.

Provide total number of 

participants to be served 

in each target area.

Mark whether addressing 

the Competitive 

Preference Priorities.

Fill in all Standardized 

Objective percentages.

• The percentages listed on the 

Profile are officially 

recognized despite what is 

written in the narrative
65
Formatting 

Recommendations

Double space all text in the application narrative, 

excluding all text in charts, tables, figures and 

graphs.

Titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, captions, may be singled-spaced. 

Use a 12-point font or larger.

Use one of the following fonts:

Times New Courier Courier Arial Roman New 66
Application 

Process

67

First -Submit application via www.Grants.gov

Second -Prescreening for eligibility

Third -A panel of 3 expert reviewers, who are not 

federal employees, will review the application

The panel will prepare an evaluation of the application 

and assign points to each selection criterion. The 

highest score an application may receive is 100; plus up 

to three additional points each for the competitive 

preference priorities

Scores from the 3 reviewers will be averaged together to 

determine one numeric score for the application
Application 

Process 

(Continued)

Currently funded applicants are eligible to receive up to 

15 Prior Experience points. If applicable, PE points are added

to the numeric score of the application to get a final score.

Final scores are ranked in order, highest to lowest, o

a funding slate.

n 

First slate

Second review

Second slate

All successful applicants will receive 

a 5- year award.

68
support@grants.gov.

 Only .PDF or Microsoft Word 

69
 Review Application Notices & Instructions Carefully

 Register Early

 Submit Early

Important: If you start uploading your application before 11:59:59 

p.m. (Eastern Time) on the application deadline date, and you do 

not finish uploading until after 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) your 

application will be marked late and will not be read. 

 Verify your application has submitted completely

 Save and keep your own copy 

 Receive Email Confirmation

 Note: only .PDF or Microsoft Word file types will be accepted

70
Exceptions 

to 

Electronic 

Submission

You may qualify for an 

electronic submission 

waiver if:

You do not have 

Internet access.

You do not have the 

capacity to upload large 

documents to the 

Grants.gov system.

If you are submitting a 

waiver, you must:

Mail, email or fax a 

written statement to 

the Department 

explaining your need for 

a waiver, due no later 

than 14 calendar days 

before the application 

deadline date.

If mailing, your letter 

must be postmarked no 

later than two weeks 

before the application 

deadline date. 71
Exceptions to 

Electronic 

Submission 

(cont’d)

Submit all Electronic Submission 

Waivers to:

Sharon Easterling

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW 

Room 2C104

Washington, DC 20202

Sharon.Easterling@ed.gov

Fax: 202-260-7464

72
Your application will be REJECTED if:

-It is received after the closing date and time, even by 1 second

-You send a paper application without having received an approved 

waiver

-You propose to serve a population not designated in Notice Inviting 

Applications

-Application does not address Selection Criteria

-You propose to serve less than the applicable number of 

participants. Proposals must propose to serve 125 participants for 

new applicants, and the current number of recommended 

participants for current grantees.
Program Specialist: Mr. Kenneth Foushee

Telephone: (202) 453-7417

Email Address: Kenneth.Foushee@ed.gov

Program Specialist: Mrs. Dana Foreman

Telephone: (202) 453-7396

Email Address: Dana.Foreman@ed.gov

Address: Federal TRIO Programs

U.S. Department of Education 

400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2C153

Washington, D.C. 20202