The 2024-25 academic year marks key milestones for the TRIO community: the 60th anniversary of federal TRIO programs, the 50th anniversary of the regional Educational Opportunity Association (EOA), and the 30th anniversary of the Upward Bound program hosted by the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.
The Upward Bound program at CSB and SJU began in 1994, following two years of planning and research by a committee of campus professionals. The committee identified a need to address barriers such as first-generation status, income inequality, learning disabilities and lack of guidance, which limited access to higher education for students in Central Minnesota. The CSB and SJU program serves four high schools in the area: St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo, Sauk Rapids-Rice and Willmar.
“Going to college is hard, period. There are some specific things that make it extra hard for some people, especially if your parents haven’t gone to college, or your family struggles with income – that can create just a whole wealth of challenges that the average student might not face,” said Alexandra Scheibelhut, program director for TRIO Upward Bound. “That’s where I see the beauty of TRIO coming in – where we can really provide that individualized support that overwhelmed high schools just can’t provide.”
Scheibelhut says the program’s results speak for themselves. Over the past three decades, the program has served an average of 60 students annually – about 1,800 participants in total. Of those who graduated from the program, 70% pursued college (compared with the national average of 62%), and nearly 85% of those students completed or are actively working toward a degree (compared with the national average of 65%).
The program offers students a comprehensive support system that builds academic skills, confidence and hope for the future. This past summer, 20 students participated in a six-week residential program on the campuses of CSB and SJU, where they engaged in college-level coursework, financial literacy training and leadership activities.
Of those students, nearly half were rising high school freshmen experiencing college life for the first time. By the end of the program, participants reported an average 20% increase in self-confidence across academic, social and personal domains.
“I can’t think of a more impactful route for people to get to their dreams,” Scheibelhut said.
To mark the program’s 30th year, TRIO Upward Bound is encouraging community members to engage with the program and its current participants. Students are seeking career mentors, college advisors and role models, as well as financial support for educational expenses.
“I think it’s incredible that a team of between three and five people have been here continuously for 30 years for the sake of our youth,” Scheibelhut said. “It’s investing in ourselves and in our own future.”
