Upward Bound was the first TRIO Program created by Lynden B. Johnson's Administration's "War on Poverty" in 1964. A year later, it became a part of a larger legislative Act known as the Higher Education Act of 1965. The primary goal of the program and all subsequent TRIO program is to provide greater educational opportunities for low income and potential - first generation college students.

The Upward Bound Program works with high school students to achieve academically and to enter and finish college. Students participate in academic tutoring, cultural enrichment program, personal, career, and academic counseling. Also, the program provides financial aid workshops, SAT workshops, scholarship information, and college tours. Each summer students participate in a residential summer program that provides supplemental academic instruction, elective, and career-oriented courses
of Georgia Southern.

All services are grade-level specific. Individualized Education Plans are conducted annually to reflect each student's needs.