Students who qualify as first-generation students do not appear to benefit from Upward Bound. Longer exposure to Upward Bound was associated with greater program impacts. The median length of participation is 19 months. There do not appear to be significant benefits associated with program completion, per se, for those entering the program in the 10th grade. While the results indicate limited effects overall, they also indicate that Upward Bound makes a substantial difference in the lives of certain groups of students, especially students entering the program with lower educational expectations, students with serious academic problems, and boys.
Results also show that duration of participation is linked to positive program outcomes.
The findings from this study strongly suggest that two ways in which to improve the program's overall effectiveness are to enroll more at-risk students and to improve student retention. Future reports will examine the longer term effects of upward Bound on students' college persistence and completion, fields of study and employment outcomes. The next report will be issued in 1999 . Endnotes The evaluation is limited to regular Upward Bound projects. It does not include Veterans projects or projects focused on math-science curriculum.