A federally funded program, through the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, is giving high school students another incentive to continue their education into college.

Upward Bound is a nationally accredited program that has been around since 1964, but this is the first year for it at ECTC.

The college works with high school students in three counties, Grayson, Green and Hardin.

Since April 14, students have been selected for the program in Grayson County alone.

Students receive a monthly stipend of $40 to be used for college, receive tutoring assistance, go on cultural enrichment field trips once a month, and during the summer participate in various activities at ECTC to prepare them for college life.

According to Academic Coordinator Thomas Tarroll, the basic idea for Upward Bound is to get students to go onto college after high school.

“September 15 is our first field trip,” explained Tarroll. “We provide the transportation for the field trips. All the student has to do is show up at their high school and we will pick them up.”

The first field trip location will be ECTC for a Financial Responsibility Day.

Representatives from the Kentucky Higher Education Association will be there, as well as officials from Fort Knox Federal Credit Union to get bank accounts set up for those going into college.

Tarroll added that all of the scheduled activities give people the chance to get a first-hand look at college life.

For five weeks during the summer students participate in an academic summer camp held at ECTC.

The summer components includes students from the three counties taking classes, doing team-involvement activities, and then on the sixth week going on a trip free-of-charge.

“This past summer students went to New York,” said Tarroll. “Next year we are looking to go out west, somewhere like Los Angeles.”

The college receives about $250,000 annually in funding for Upward Bound.

“ECTC wrote the grant to the federal government and the program works through them,” explained Tarroll. “There are other Upward Bound programs in the state. Anyone who wants to get involved can fill out an application. It can be picked up at the counselor’s office at the high school.”

In October the Upward Bound program will be expanding, thanks to a brand new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics grant.

“The brand new stem grant is going to include up to 10 additional students into the program,” added Tarroll. “It should be up and running by October”