Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) Project Upward Bound was created in 1989 through a Federal TRIO grant funded by the United States Department of Education at the Chicago Teachers' Center, a division of the university's College of Education. Its objective is to help students with limited financial resources prepare for and gain access to higher education.

  • Students in the ninth, tenth and eleventh grades who attend one of our designated target schools or who reside in one of our target community areas.
  • Students who come from families where neither parent that they live with has a four year college degree.
  • Students whose families demonstrate financial need as determined by the federal government
  • Students who are seriously committed to the idea of pursuing a post secondary education.
Academic Tutoring

Participants are required to attend tutorial sessions with a trained tutor at their schools once or twice a week at an assigned time. Tutoring is also available on Saturdays at the NEIU Upward Bound Saturday Institute, before and after class. Tutoring requirements are determined by the students' grades each marking period and by their cumulative grade point averages.
Saturday Institute
Saturday Institute classes convene twenty times between October and April on the campus of NEIU. The classes are divided into three components appropriate to students' year in school. Ninth and tenth graders take English and mathematics in ninety minute sessions to strengthen their skills and build their confidence in these essential content areas. The primary focus of the math class is algebra and geometry, while the English is grammar and critical thinking.

Eleventh graders enroll in a sixty hour ACT preparation course designed to ready them for the test date in April. A diagnostic assessment is given on the first day of class using a retired ACT test. The remaining sessions are dedicated to reviewing content and learning effective test taking strategies.

Twelfth graders attend Senior Seminar workshops facilitated by the Upward Bound Counselor. These Workshops are intended to help students in their transition from high school to college and from adolescence to adulthood. Topics covered in the Senior Seminar include: selecting the right college and major, obtaining financial assistance, managing time effectively, and surviving on a college campus.
Summer Voyage
In the summer, up to forty students participate in a six week academic enrichment program on the NEIU campus. During the first five weeks, students receive instruction in English, mathematics, science, human relations and a world language. Some classes require a research paper or a major project. Classes meet Monday through Thursday in the morning and afternoon. Lunch is provided daily by Upward Bound. Fridays are used for cultural field trips, guest speakers and other activities. Students will spend most of the sixth week on the campus of a university outside of Chicago. They will live in residence halls and partake in various aspects of campus life.

Students are given CTA fare cards each Saturday and each day of the Summer Voyage classes to cover the cost of transportation to and from NEIU.
Counseling Services
Counseling is available to students individually or in small groups. The following services are available to students:

Academic Guidance
Scholarship Search
Personal Counseling
College Readiness
Career Identification
Interest Inventories
We need parents to take an active role in seeing that their children are fulfilling program requirements and attending consistently. To that end, parents must attend our fall and summer orientations and promptly complete and return all documents required for enrollment and participation in Upward Bound. Prior to each conference or major college tour (two or more days out of Chicago) a mandatory parent meeting will be scheduled and must be attended for a student to participate in the activity. Parents or guardians will receive the activity itinerary, contact information, travel policies and sign necessary permission and medical forms.