NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Fisk University is trying to make it easier for first-generation students in the Metro Nashville area to go to college.
The HBCU was chosen again by the Department of Education to have the federally funded TRIO-Upward Bound Program return for the cycle 2022-2027, after a 25-year hiatus.
The program will increase the number of low-income, first-generation students in the metro Nashville area who will obtain their high school diploma and go on to earn their college degrees.
The award grant totals $1,437,642 over a five-year period and $287,528 annually. Fisk University will partner with area high schools to stem the rates of lagging academic performance of students from low-income backgrounds.
Fisk University will provide support for 60 area high school students that will include intensive academic advising/counseling, college entrance exam preparation, parental support, college financial aid planning, financial literacy, FAFSA training/assistance, course selection assistance, academic assessment, scholarship assistance, career planning, cultural enrichment, support for re-entry, alternative education, and special populations and core curriculum instruction.
The university reports effective outcomes will be measured by increases in the number of students participating in the program who will complete their secondary education and enroll in and graduate from post-secondary institutions.
Upward Bound services will take place throughout the regular academic year at the participating schools, at Fisk University and through remote learning.
Summer programming will include structured academic exposure, supervised residential life, and a slate of relevant cultural activities and events. Commitments of support include the target schools, area community organizations, and local businesses.
