General Information
Federal Regulations
GEAR UP offers state and partnership grants. State grants are competitive six-year matching grants that must include both an early intervention component designed to increase college attendance and success and raise the expectations of low-income students and a scholarship component. Partnership grants are competitive six-year matching grants that must support an early intervention component and may support a scholarship component designed to increase college attendance and success and raise the expectations of low-income students.
Program Statue and Limitations
The GEAR UP program is authorized under Sections 404A– 404H of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, (20 USC §§1070a-21—1070a-28) and the program regulations are located U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Subtitle B, Chapter VI, Part 694.
Required Services
All grantees must address required services in the application. Projects should provide comprehensive mentoring, outreach, and supportive services to support the following required services: a) information regarding financial aid for postsecondary education for participating students; b) encourage student enrollment in rigorous or challenging curricula and coursework, in order to reduce the need for remedial coursework at the postsecondary level; c) improve the number of participating students who obtain a secondary school diploma and complete applications for and enroll in a program of postsecondary education; and d) State projects must provide GEAR UP scholarships (see 20 USC §1070a–24(a)).
In addition, applicants have the option of implementing permissible services, such as tutoring, college tours, job shadowing, and cultural enrichment. Permissible services allow the applicant to customize its project design to address specific needs of the target population (see 20 USC §1070a–24(b) and (c))