TRIO Upward Bound - University of Minnesota Duluth

A group of 50 diverse youth standing in front of an enormous frosted glass wall etched with large nternational symbols for water.

Program Overview 

TRIO Upward Bound (UB) is a college access program funded by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by the University of Minnesota Duluth. TRIO UB currently serves 135 students in grades 9 ­- 12 in Minneapolis and Duluth public schools. We are designed to meet the academic and motivational needs of high school students who are from low-income families and/or are potentially the first generation of their family to receive a bachelor's degree and who want to go to college.

If you are a student at Denfeld High School in Duluth, or at Edison, Roosevelt, South, or Wellstone International High Schools in Minneapolis; and are interested in the Upward Bound program, please find the academic advisor based at your school for more information, How to Apply page. 

Our program began in 1970 as 'Indian Upward Bound' to serve Native middle school students, later becoming 'Upward Bound Vision Quest.' Now known as 'UMD Upward Bound,' we serve a broader student population while remaining proud of our history.

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Services Offered

Academic Year

The core of the academic year program is the services provided through our academic advisors, who are based at each school. Advisors work one-on-one with students during weekly check-ins to help them set goals, get the academic assistance they may need, review grades and explore college options, among many other things. We offer:

  • Academic and college planning
  • Tutoring
  • Monthly College Readiness Day workshops
  • Assistance with college, scholarship, and financial aid applications
  • College entrance exam preparation
  • College visits
  • Cultural and community service field trips
  • Stipends based on program participation

Summer Program

The six-week residential Summer Program is the heart of Upward Bound, providing students with the experience of living and taking classes on a college campus while also offering opportunities to learn other important skills. The summer program takes place on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.

A group of students sitting in an oversized lawn chair on the University of Minnesota lawn. The chair says #UMNProud on the front.

Student Expectations

Upward Bound Helps Students To:

  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • Take a rigorous course of study (including at least one year of a language other than English).
  • Attend weekly advising meetings to review academic goals and check academic progress.
  • Attend monthly College Readiness Days and other events.
  • Attend the residential summer program.
  • Graduate on time.
  • Enroll in college in the fall following high school graduation.