The results are based on data from 5,800 program participants and comparison group students whose progress was measured over a three-year period. A future report will examine the effects of program participation on college graduation. An ongoing evaluation of the Upward Bound program, the largest of the federally funded TRIO programs, is yielding important new information about the program's effectiveness, showing that it affects students early on, and in positive ways. Upward Bound, initiated in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty, is a federal precollege program designed to help economically disadvantaged students complete high school and to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. This evaluation report describes the impact of Upward Bound on students during high school and the first year or two of college.
Results also show that duration of participation is linked to positive program outcomes.
The Federal TRIO Programs fund critical postsecondary education outreach and student support services for disadvantaged individuals to help them enter and complete postsecondary education programs. This report presents the results of a survey of 1997 TRIO grantees and non-funded applicants conducted in 1998 concerning their satisfaction with the TRIO programs and with services provided by the Department of Education. Results of the survey indicate that in general, TRIO applicants, both those funded and those not funded, were highly satisfied with the TRIO programs. Eighty-five percent reported being satisfied while only 9 percent were dissatisfied and 7 percent were neutral. Congress wanted the study to discuss the implications of military downsizing for both training capacity and workforce diversity in the aviation industry.