The general assembly recognizes that universities must provide an environment that enables all students to have an equal opportunity to succeed. The general assembly also recognizes that, because of inequalities in educational preparation, economic factors, and social circumstances, not all young Iowans have the same degree of access to Iowa’s higher education system. The general assembly further acknowledges that an early intervention system using public school districts, community agencies, and other state institutions can be useful in preparing young students to succeed in college. Therefore, the “College-bound” program is established to ensure that the state’s universities and students’ local communities become involved early in a student‘s life by promoting and informing students about the opportunities in higher education, so that lack of adequate personal resources is not a barrier to attending college for young Iowans.