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- What is the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program?
- How will applicants be selected to receive grants?
- Who can apply for a state grant?
- Who can apply for a partnership grant?
- Is there a matching requirement for the state and partnerships grants?
- Does the state grant have required elements?
- Does the partnership grant have required elements?
- What is the size of awards for state and partnerships grants?
- Is there any limitation on the amount of indirect costs that grant recipients may charge to GEAR UP grants?
- What is GPRA and does it apply to the GEAR UP program?
- What is the average of a project period for a grant?
- Am I required to submit my application electronically?
- What is the cohort approach for partnership grants?
- Are state grants required to use the cohort approach?
- What are "priority students?"
- May an eligible entity be a partner in more than one GEAR UP partnership or state grant?
- May students attending private schools participate in GEAR UP projects?
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081106011533im_/http://www.ed.gov/images/ed_c_dline.gif)
1. What is the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program?
The GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program designed to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
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2. How will applicants be selected to receive grants?
Grantees will be selected through a rigorous peer review process. Selection will be based upon selection criteria stated in the application and published in the Federal Register.
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3. Who can apply for a state grant?
The governor of each state may designate only one agency to apply for and administer a GEAR UP state grant, though states are encouraged to ensure strong collaboration between K-12 and higher education agencies and may choose to have more than one entity deliver the services.
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4. Who can apply for a partnership grant?
A partnership grant application must be submitted on behalf of a partnership between one or more local education agencies (LEA) or school districts, one or more degree-granting institutions of higher education (IHE), and at least two other entities such as community-based organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations, college student organizations, state agencies, or parent groups.
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5. Is there a matching requirement for the state and partnerships grants?
Yes. Successful applicants are required to match the federal contribution dollar-for-dollar, that is, the non-federal contribution must equal at least 50 percent of the total six-year project cost.
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6. Does the state grant have required elements?
Yes. State grants must provide early intervention services and college scholarships.
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7. Does the partnership grant have required elements?
Yes. Partnerships must provide early intervention services. Partnerships may choose to provide scholarships, but they are not required to do so.
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8. What is the size of awards for state and partnerships grants?
The maximum federal award for state grants is determined by the availability of funds. There is no minimum state award. Partnership grants are limited to $800 per student.
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9. Is there any limitation on the amount of indirect costs that grant recipients may charge to GEAR UP grants?
Consistent with section 75.562 of Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), all grant recipients are limited to a maximum indirect cost rate of eight percent of a modified total direct cost base or the amount permitted by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, whichever is less.
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10. What is GPRA and does it apply to the GEAR UP program?
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 is a statute that requires all federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities.
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11. What is the average of a project period for a grant?
Up to 72 months.
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12. Am I required to submit my application electronically?
Yes. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov system unless the applicant requests and qualifies for an exemption. You may qualify for an exception and may submit your application in paper format if you are unable to submit your application through Grants.gov because you do not have access to the Internet or you do not have the capacity to upload large documents to Grants.gov.
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13. What is the cohort approach for partnership grants?
The cohort, or whole-grade approach involves providing services to all students in the participating grade levels, rather than a selected group of students. By law, a cohort must start no later than the 7th grade, and services must be provided to the students in the cohort through the 12th grade. Each cohort must include either: (1) all of the students in a particular grade level at a participating school that has a 7th grade and in which at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Act; or (2) all of the students in a particular grade level, who reside in public housing, as defined in section 3(b)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937.
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14. Are state grants required to use the cohort approach?
No. States are not required to use a cohort approach, but they may choose to do so as a means to leverage change in schools and to reach all students. States may choose to serve "priority students" or serve a cohort of students.
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15. What are "priority students?"
Priority students are defined in the law as students in preschool through 12th grade who are eligible to be counted under section 1124 (c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title I); or free or reduced-price lunches under the National School Lunch Act; or assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families law (Title I of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996).
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16. May an eligible entity be a partner in more than one GEAR UP partnership or state grant?
Yes. Eligible entities may participate in more than one partnership or state project, as long as services are coordinated, and partners' roles and responsibilities are clear. A state may also serve as one of the partners in a partnership project and receive a state grant at the same time.
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17. May students attending private schools participate in GEAR UP projects?
Yes, but there is no requirement mandating their participation. Students in private schools that otherwise meet the eligibility criteria may participate in GEAR UP projects carried out by partnerships or states. In a partnership project, a local educational agency must act on behalf of such students, and either an institution of higher education that is not pervasively sectarian or a local educational agency must act as the fiscal agent. If private school students are to participate in a GEAR UP partnership, the private school itself should be a member of the partnership.
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