Upward Bound at the University of South Florida is one of the six TRIO outreach and suppport programs funded by the United States Department of Education. Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound at USF serves high school students from low-income families and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree (first-generation college students). The program's rigorous academic and counseling components are designed to provide students with three years of continuous preparation for college beginning in the spring of their ninth grade academic year.