California Lutheran University has received a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its Ventura County Upward Bound Program.

The $1.6 million grant entirely funds the program, which prepares low-income, first-generation high school students for higher education.

Participants receive additional instruction outside of normal classes -- on Saturdays and during summer vacation -- in subjects such as composition, literature, mathematics and science. They also attend college tours and receive academic advising. There are 772 such programs across the United States.

The CLU program began in 1980 and works with high school students at Camarillo, Channel Islands, Hueneme, Oxnard, Pacifica and Rio Mesa. A total of 170 students have graduated since 1996, with an average of 20 to 30 graduating annually. About 96 percent of the program's graduates have pursued a post-secondary education.

Last month, the following 25 Ventura County high school students graduated from the program. They are listed by high school and their names are followed by the college they will attend.

Channel Islands: Allen Archibeque, Ventura College; Diana Arellano, University of California at Berkeley; Lisette Guzman, University of California at Riverside; and Valeria Solis, California State University, Northridge/Oxnard College.

Hueneme: Akeem Bynum, Sacramento Community College.

Camarillo: Cointa Flores, CLU; Angela Garcia, CLU; Monica Gomez, San Francisco State University; Alejandro Heredia, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Myra Montejano, CSUN/Ventura College; and Santiago Pena, Moorpark College.

Rio Mesa: Nereida Garcia, CSUN; Patricia Ochoa, CLU; and Moises Plascencia, Fresno State University.

Oxnard: Daniel Gutierrez, CSUN; Jesus Herrera, CSUN; Thi Loung, University of California at Irvine; Salvador Malbas, SFSU; Dario Ordaz, Ventura College; Jose Robles, SFSU; Edgar Ruelas, CSUN; Lucila Sanchez, Chico State University/Ventura College; and Theresa Soto, SFSU.

Santa Paula: Jessica Ralphs, University of California at Berkeley; and Alejandro Tamayo, University of California at Los Angeles.