FAQs

Prospective Participants

  1. How much does Upward Bound cost?
    Upward Bound is free to participants. All costs are paid for by the US Department of Education.
  2. Can my child apply for just the summer program?
    No, students must participate in the academic year program before the summer program. Once a student is accepted, they are expected to participate until high school graduation.
  3. Is Upward Bound a summer camp?
    No Upward Bound is a four year pre-college program. We will not under any circumstances accept a student just for the summer program.
  4. If my child does not go to a target school can they still participate in Upward Bound?
    Due to Federal regulations we can only serve students who attend our target schools. If your child does not attend one of our target schools, please check with one of the other local Upward Bound programs.
  5. What happens if I do not meet the low income level?
    Students are accepted based on income level and parents highest education. If a household does not meet the low income level, but neither parent has a bachelor’s degree the student may still be accepted in the program.
  6. What happens if I (we) do not meet the low income level and I (we) have a bachelor’s degree?
    We cannot accept students whose families do not meet at least one of these requirements.
  7. Why do you need my child’s social security number?
    The federal government requires us to collect social security numbers in order to track students through college graduation. All information is kept secure in our office.
  8. Why do I need to turn in my 1040?
    Upward Bound is required by federal regulations to have proof that a family meets the low income level.
  9. Does my child need to reapply every year?
    No, once a student is accepted into the program they are participants until high school graduation.
  10. Why does Upward Bound only accept 9th and 10th graders?
    Upward Bound programs are not allowed to accept 12th graders due to federal regulations. The UMBC Upward Bound Program does not normally accept 11th graders past the first semester of the year as the students do not have enough time in the program to benefit from our services.
  11. My child has academic need and we meet the requirements, why wasn’t my child accepted into the program?
    We can not accept students with extremely low grades, learning disabilities or severe behavior problems. Though we understand how problematic this may be for parents, we simply do not have the resources to serve every student and must select the students with whom we can offer the most impact.

Prospective Staff

  1. Do I need to have teaching experience to become a summer instructor?
    Yes, all summer instructors must have teaching experience.
  2. Can I take classes during the summer if I am a tutor?
    Tutors are not allowed to take classes during the summer.
  3. Can I be a tutor if I am a freshman?
    No, tutors must have at least 45 credits.
  4. Do you provide room & board?
    Yes we do.
  5. Can I work for two departments at once?
    UMBC does allow students to work for multiple departments. However, you cannot work more than 20 hours during the academic year.
  6. What is the GPA requirement?
    Tutors must have a cum. 2.75 GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in the subject they plan to tutor.
  7. Do I have to be a current college student to be a tutor?
    You do not have to be a current college student, but you must have a college degree if you are not in college.
  8. Are there limitations in the dorms for summer tutors?
    Yes, summer tutors are not allowed to have alcohol in their rooms, even if they are over 21. Also, summer tutors are not allowed to have visitors when the students are on campus and can not have overnight visitors at all.
  9. Can I be a tutor if I am an international student?
    As long as you have permission to work in the United States you may work for Upward Bound.