Student Services, Building #22
Room STS-219
Monday - Thursday: 8 AM - 5 PM
Friday: 8 AM - 1 PM
UB Eligibility
- Current 8th grader planning to attend Seaside, Marina, or Monterey High School
- Meet federal low-income guidelines and/or be a first-generation college student (neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree)
- U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
- Have the goal of earning a college degree
- Demonstrate desire and ability to succeed in high school and graduate from college
- Commit to participating in Upward Bound for all 4 years of high school
Services
Most Upward Bound services take place at MPC. Upward Bound services are free/no cost to the student and family. All UB students are required to participate in the following program components:
Summer Academy & Southern California College Tours
Students attend a six-week Summer Academy at MPC where they engage in project based learning activities in the subjects of math, science, communication, culture, and personal development. Students also participate in college preparation workshops, learning about college admissions requirements, financial aid, and major and career exploration. At the end of the Academy, eligible students attend an overnight trip to Southern California to tour university campuses and surrounding areas.
After-School Tutoring
Tutoring is provided at MPC's TRIO Learning Center throughout the Academic Year. Upward Bound students are required to attend at least 2 hrs per week. Students have access to 1:1 tutoring in core academic subjects, computers, printers, and other academic supplies.
HOURS: Monday/Tuesday: 3:30 - 7 PM, Wednesday: 3 - 7 PM, Thursday: 3:30 - 5:30 PM
Workshops
Upward Bound students participate in a variety of workshops.
Saturday Workshops: occur once or twice a month where students of all grade levels combined engage in college and career exploration (including career guest speakers), personal development, financial literacy, community service, cultural enrichment, and team building activities.
Grade Level Workshops: all students attend workshops specific to their grade level where topics unique to them are discussed, such as course planning for freshmen and college application assistance for seniors.
Counseling
Students meet with an Upward Bound counselor at least once per semester to check academic progress, discuss personal/academic/career goals, and support overall personal well-being.
Field-Trips
Throughout the academic year, students are given the opportunity to attend college campus tours as well as cultural enrichment trips like museums, theaters, outdoor excursions, etc. Eligibility is based on student participation.
Fee Waiver Eligibility
Upward Bound students are eligible for college entrance exam fee waivers and some college application fee waivers.
Ready to Apply?
Typically, the recruitment & application process follows these steps:
- Attend an Upward Bound presentation at your middle school in early spring of 8th grade.
- Submit the Interest Form online, which will trigger an invitation to the mandatory Information Session.
- Attend the mandatory Information Session at MPC and receive an application to apply to Upward Bound.
- Submit completed application by the deadline.
- Students who submit a completed application by the deadline will be scheduled for an interview.
- All students who participate in an interview will receive a decision letter by email.
- Accepted students and parents/guardians must attend a mandatory New Student Orientation.
Helpful Tools & Resources
CaliforniaColleges.edu is California’s official college and career planning platform. Lessons and tools help students discover goals for life after high school, make plans to achieve them, and launch their futures. It’s free for California 6th - 12th grade students, their parents, and educators.
An online resource designed to help students and their families learn about the CSU system, compare and select a CSU campus to attend, plan to finance higher education, and apply for admission.
University of California Admissions
Find the requirements to apply to the UC, explore UC campuses and majors, learn how UC applications are reviewed, discover UC scholarship opportunities, and more.
Use this tool to identify which courses at your high school fulfill A-G requirements for CSU and UC admissions.
Access SAT, PSAT, and AP Exam information including registration and test prep materials.
US Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a publication that includes information about the nature of work, working conditions, training and education requirements, earnings and job outlook for hundreds of different jobs in the United States.
Office of Postsecondary Education
The Department of Education's listing of colleges, business schools, technical schools and historically black colleges.
A wealth of information about career search, college search, financial assistance and scholarship search with lots of good resources available.
Online service providing career planning help and information on selecting and paying for college.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.
Find wages and employment trends, occupational requirements, state by state labor market conditions, millions of employer contacts nationwide, and the most extensive career resource library online.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a free application that helps students determine if they qualify for federal financial aid. It can also help students learn about grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and loans.
California Dream Act Application
A form that allows eligible students to apply for financial aid to attend college in California, specifically intended for Undocumented students, students with a U-Visa or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), students who meet the California non-resident exemption requirements, and students from mixed-status families.
Community Foundation for Monterey County Scholarship
Scholarship Fund for Monterey County students. Complete one application to have access to over 70 scholarships.
Provides a free, comprehensive, independent, and objective guide to student financial aid.
A financial aid and career site for college students, college-bound students and their parents, and recent college graduates. Database of more than 850,000 college scholarships, awards, grants, and prizes.
The CSS Profile is a financial aid application used and required by many private colleges and universities.