Flushing, NY (PRWEB) June 02, 2017
New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced the awarding of more than $9 million in grants for college-readiness programs across New York State. Vaughn College received $257,500 of federal funding through the Department of Education’s Upward Bound program.
The College has run Upward Bound since 2003, a supplemental academic program aimed at preparing high school students for college life. The courses offered change every year and are designed to illustrate the importance of a college degree to students who may not receive that information at home. During the program, students have the opportunity to work with program staff to fill out and submit college applications.
“Many of our students have been able to pursue college and career goals due to this program,” said Christopher Griffith, assistant director of Upward Bound at Vaughn. “Students come from low-income families or are first generation college students, and the results we see stemming from their participation and success in courses are huge.”
The goal of Upward Bound is to increase secondary education completion and encourage students’ enrollment in and graduation from postsecondary education institutions. These programs provide academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature and foreign languages, in addition to tutoring, counseling, mentoring, cultural enrichment and work-study opportunities. The funds at Vaughn support courses offered that range from bridge building to robotics and flight instruction. Upward Bound is funded by annual federal grants and was approved for a five-year renewal funding during initial implementation. Vaughn’s partnership with Grover Cleveland and August Martin High Schools, which are located in the Queens area, will begin on September 1, 2017.
“We are grateful to receive funding to help support our continued participation in this highly successful program,” said Vaughn’s President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo. “Upward Bound students are exposed to a college and learn about academic expectations. These college-readiness programs provide participants with a pathway to achieving their dream of a degree and a lifetime of opportunities."
About Vaughn
Founded in 1932, Vaughn College is a private, four-year college that enrolls more than 1,600 students in master’s, bachelor’s and associate degree programs in engineering, technology, management and aviation on its main campus in New York City and online. The student-faculty ratio of 14 to 1 ensures a highly personalized learning environment. Ninety-eight percent of Vaughn College graduates are placed in professional positions or choose to continue their education within one year of graduation, eighty-one percent in a related field. They work in 20 countries and all 50 states. The institution serves many first-generation college students and is recognized by the US Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. For more information, visit http://www.vaughn.edu.