GEAR UP

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a seven-year federal grant program that provides services and assistance for qualifying students in order to help them successfully graduate from high school and prepare for college. GEAR UP serves grades 7-12 and first-year college students.

GEAR UP Logo

Information

GEAR UP is now accepting applications for 7th- through 12th-grade students.

Make an appointment with an advisor:

Erika Olsen - Emery School District
a01753257@usu.edu 

Mikella Johnson - Pinnacle Canyon Academy
Make an appointment online

Goals of GEAR UP

GEAR UP is a federally funded grant program whose goal is to increase college awareness for students and their families and to help students develop the skills and preparation necessary to pursue education after high school.

Many of America's talented young people end their formal education at high school. For them, the opportunity to finish high school and progress to college is not apparent. This is due to a number of factors, including low expectations, low motivation, and lack of appropriate curriculum, instruction, and support.

Although this problem cuts across all income levels, it is particularly acute for the nation's poor. Today, high academic achievers from low-income families are five times less likely to attend college than their more economically advantaged peers.

GEAR UP is designed to enable more young Americans to stay in school, study hard, and take the right courses to succeed in college. It is aimed at enabling low-income communities and states to create new or expanded plans that strengthen their schools and provide educational opportunities for low-income students. Through GEAR UP, the U.S. Department of Education addresses the challenge to help more low-income students become prepared academically and financially to enter into and succeed in college.

Mentors facilitate a student’s educational, social, and personal growth through a supportive one-on-one relationship. A mentor is a role model. Tutors assist with core academic courses, such as algebra, reading or writing.

If you would like to be a GEAR UP mentor, see Student Leadership.