U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced that the U.S. Department of Education will award ten New Jersey colleges and universities with more than $3.5 million in federal funds to the Upward Bound Program for the next five years. The Upward Bound is a key college access program that aims to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from higher education institutions.

“These almost $4 million of grant aid will make a remarkable difference for students across New Jersey and across the nation – students who are starting their last summer before college and may even consider not going to college due to the high costs of tuition, but are working so they can save every last penny and achieve their dreams of going to college,” said Sen. Menendez. "New Jersey students are facing huge tuition hikes, which push the cost of college even higher in a state already home to some of the nation's most expensive universities. While colleges have increased their tuition by almost 50 percent in recent years, household incomes have largely stayed flat, making this federal investment critical to the success of our nation’s future.”

“Upward Bound programs have provided New Jersey’s low-income students and their families with critical services to help them plan and prepare for a bright future,” said Sen. Booker. “From college visits to tutoring, test-prep, and leadership classes, Upward Bound helps many of our state’s first-generation college-bound students receive the support necessary to help bridge educational inequality gaps. Proven federal programs like Upward Bound open doors and help more young New Jerseyans achieve their full potential.”

The universities to be awarded these grants are:

Kean University

$299,143.00

Passaic County Community College

$257,500.00

Rutgers University (Piscataway)

$584,996.00

Rutgers University (Newark)

$257,500.00

Rowan University

$250,000.00

Mercer County Community College

$406,088.00

New Jersey Institute of Technology

$257,500.00

Seton Hall University

$587,930.00

Montclair State University

$257,500.00

New Jersey Institute of Technology

$503,928.00

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