Participant Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for participation in Northwest Missouri State University's Upward Bound Math & Science Program. Do not worry if you do not know, please, apply and let us figure it out for you!

• Be a citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States.
• Attend one of the recruitment schools in Iowa, Kansas, or Missouri.
  • Meet the U.S. Department of Education Income Guidelines for taxable income (see table below), and/or
  • be a potential first generation college graduate (i.e., neither parent with whom the student is living has received a bachelor [4-year] degree at the time student is accepted).
  • NOTE: At least two-thirds of those accepted into the UBMS program as participants must meet both of these requirements; the remainder must meet at least one of them.
• Have a "need" to be in the program (i.e., be able to benefit from participation).
• Be currently in the Freshman or Sophomore or Junior year of high school.
• Have successfully completed a unit of college-preparatory science each year of high school.
• Have successfully completed a unit of college-preparatory math each year of high school, including Algebra I.
• Be interested in, or have the potential to do well in, an intensive math/ science curriculum.
• Be reading at or near grade level.

The income guidelines refer to taxable income only, not gross income, and are provided below. For comparison to these figures, use the line for taxable income on the appropriate federal tax form (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ).

Federal TRIO Programs Annual Low-Income Levels*
(Effective January 11, 2024 until further notice)

For family units with more than 8 members, add $8,070 for each additional family member.

*The figures shown here are the family income levels established by the US Department of Education to determine eligibility for federal TRIO programs. These figures are updated each January or February.