defend TRIO upward bound and Talent Search- 2007

We, the undersigned, as Federal TRIO program supporters, come together to protest the planned elimination of funding for Upward Bound and Talent Search under the 2007 Budget proposal.

The purposes of these two programs are as follows:

Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in pre-college performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families, high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree, and low-income, first-generation military veterans who are preparing to enter postsecondary education. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rates at which participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. (http://www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html)

The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to the postsecondary school of their choice. Talent Search also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to reenter the educational system and complete their education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in the postsecondary education institution of their choice. (http://www.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/index.html)

Both programs, though differing slightly in eligibility criteria and operation, offer support to students who may have otherwise never considered college as an option. These programs speak for themselves. Upward Bound and Talent Search students are successful. Despite financial limitations, graduates of these programs generally do well in college and go on to become productive members of society.
Students in the Upward Bound program are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in TRIO; nearly 20 percent of all Black and Hispanic freshmen who entered college in 1981 received assistance through the TRIO Talent Search or EOC programs; students in the TRIO Student Support Services program are more than twice as likely to remain in college than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in the program. (http://www.trioprograms.org/abouttrio.html)

Given the success of these programs, we ask that you offer your support to keep them alive for future generations.