June 24, 2022

Credit: Baltimore Sun, Tony Roberts

U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone, all Maryland Democrats, have announced $3,783,406 in federal funding for colleges and universities across the state to help underrepresented communities enter and complete higher education degree programs.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Community College of Baltimore County will be receiving a combined $1,120,359. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Education’s Upward Bound Program, which provides preparation and guidance for students to pursue education beyond high school. The lawmakers fought for increased funding in fiscal year 2022 for Upward Bound and other federal TRIO Programs, which are federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and support the educational pursuits of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“All Marylanders deserve the opportunity to seek higher education regardless of their socioeconomic background,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “That’s why we’re proud to deliver these funds to help ensure we’re setting students up for success. These grants will not only provide mentorship and academic training to help high school students tackle challenges they may face while applying for and attending college, but will also inform them of opportunities to receive financial assistance. We will continue working to secure federal funding to help Maryland students achieve their dreams.”

In total, eight Maryland institutions of higher education will receive grants. Recipients of the Upward Bound funding include:

• $681,929 for Community College of Baltimore County
• $575,074 for Chesapeake College
• $531,595 for University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• $496,677 for Morgan State University
• $473,169 for Frostburg State University
• $438,430 for University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• $297,599 for Hagerstown Community College
• $288,933 for Prince George’s Community College

Upward Bound provides support to participants in their preparation for college entrance and their precollege performance — and ultimately their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families and from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.