Veterans Upward Bound program to serve students at Texas State

The TRIO Programs at Texas State University have received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish the Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program.

The $1.4 million federal grant will enable VUB to implement strategic activities and services to assist 125 eligible military veteran students each year to promote their academic improvement, completion of an educational program, postsecondary enrollment and postsecondary degree attainment.

“This is an exciting time for TRIO and for Texas State. A Veterans Upward Bound program will add to our already stellar track record of serving and supporting veterans on campus and within our communities,” said Gigi Secuban, vice president for Inclusive Excellence at Texas State. “The Veterans Upward Bound program will create several opportunities for cross collaboration and will forge a lasting legacy for veterans’ success for years to come.”  

There are more than 3,800 veteran and military-connected students at Texas State, representing 10% of the total student population. Having two large Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units on campus is part of the university’s tradition of commitment and support for veterans and the military.

“We are so grateful to have received this award for the 2022-2027 funding cycle,” said Ray Cordero, senior director of TRIO Programs at Texas State. “Serving veteran students is something near and dear to the hearts of the university, our faculty and staff and TRIO and we look forward to growing the Veterans Upward Bound program alongside our colleagues on campus and within the central Texas veteran community.”

Including VUB, TRIO programs at Texas State operate 10 projects that serve 320 students in traditional and STEM pathways, 25 undergraduate students focused on doctoral/research programs, and 2,617 high school students in five school districts across Central Texas.

TRIO is a set of federally funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree. TRIO programs provide academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance and other supports necessary for educational access and retention. TRIO also provides direct support services for students, and relevant training for directors and staff.

The TRIO programs were the first national college access and retention programs to address the serious social and cultural barriers to education in the U.S. TRIO began as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's war on poverty. The Educational Opportunity Act of 1964 established an experimental program known as Upward Bound. Then, in 1965, the Higher Education Act created Talent Search which Johnson, a Texas State alumnus, signed on the Texas State campus. As such, Texas State is recognized as the birthplace of TRIO programs in the TRIO community.

For more information on TRIO programs at Texas State, visit www.txst.edu/trio/.