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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes. State grants must provide early intervention services and college scholarships.

Yes. Partnerships must provide early intervention services. Partnerships may choose to provide scholarships, but they are not required to do so.

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.

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.

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.

Up to 72 months.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.