WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Education awarded grant funding to two institutions of higher learning in The T&D Region as part of the department's Upward Bound program.

Claflin University will receive $512,056, and Voorhees College will get $320,250 as part of the $5.2 million in grants to 16 South Carolina colleges and technical colleges, according to Sen. Fritz Hollings.

The Upward Bound project provides support and assistance to high school students who come from low-income families in which neither parent holds a post-secondary degree and who plan to further their education after high school.

Additionally, special veterans' Upward Bound projects assist low-income, first-generation military veterans who also want to attend a two- or four-year college.

"The resources and support that Upward Bound provides can make all the difference in the world to many South Carolina students who are the first in their families to continue their education beyond high school," Hollings said. "This funding will do much to help our students succeed and create new opportunities for themselves and their communities."

Upward Bound is one of the department's TRIO programs.

Its goal is to help participants develop the skills and motivation necessary for success in post-secondary education, and it seeks to increase the rate at which participants enroll and graduate from colleges.

The project provides intensive academic instruction and support to participants in their preparations for college entrance by assisting them in getting ready for entrance exams and the completion of college entrance and financial aid applications.

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