New GEAR UP Grants Awarded to Help More Than 275,000 Middle-Schoolers Get on the Pathway for Success in College
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U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $ 177.4 million for 66 grants under Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) that will help some 275,000 at-risk students to prepare for college and receive the support they need to achieve success in postsecondary education.
"We know innovative programs like GEAR UP that intervene early can make all the difference in whether young people go to college," Duncan said. "These grants provide the mentoring, support, and financial aid that will give thousands of students a greater opportunity to achieve success in postsecondary education."
Two types of grants are being awarded: $77.3 million for 19 state grants: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Another $100.1 million is being awarded for 47 partnership grants in 24 states.
Both state and partnership grants are competitive six or seven-year matching grant programs that target entire grades of students, partner with local organizations and businesses, and include matching local contributions and in-kind services. Grantees serve an entire group of students, usually beginning no later than seventh grade, and follow them throughout high school.
This year, for the first time in any Department of Education grant program, applicants were encouraged to include a college savings program as one of their strategies. Research from the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis indicates that students with savings accounts are up to six times more likely to enroll in college, even controlling for household income and student grades. Forty-two of the winning grantees—both state and partnership grants—plan to provide college savings accounts for their students, along with financial and economic literacy activities.
Applicants were also encouraged to address how they would work to turn around the lowest-performing schools, enable more data-based decision-making, and implement college- and career-ready standards.
State grants include both a required activities component and a scholarship component. The required activities component seeks to increase college attendance and completion by raising low-income students' awareness of college and financial aid options, increasing their participation in academically challenging courses, and supporting them through the college admissions process. The scholarship component requires the state to maintain a financial assistance program for GEAR UP students to attend institutions of higher education.
Partnership projects must include at least one low-income middle school, one college or university, and two community or business organizations. Partners work together to provide students and their families with a range of support services needed to prepare for college, including mentoring, counseling, tutoring, and summer programs to succeed in higher level math and other gateway college preparatory courses, as well as information about college and financial aid options.
In addition to the 66 new grants announced today, GEAR UP is funding 88 continuation projects begun in the last five years that are providing these comprehensive support services to approximately 305,000 middle and high school students.
Note to Editors: Attached are the two lists of GEAR UP grantees: Partnership Grants and State Grants, with first-year funding amounts and local contact information.
FY 2011 GEAR UP Partnership Awards
| Homer, Alaska | |
| Grantee: | Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula |
| Year One Funding: | $128,000 |
| Director's Name: | Tim Vlasak |
| Phone Number: | (907) 714-8862 |
| Email Address: | tvlasak@kpbsd.k12.ak.us |
| Helena-West Helena, Arkansas | |
| Grantee: | Phillips Community College-University of Arkansas |
| Year One Funding: | $1,019,199 |
| Director's Name: | Kyle Miller |
| Phone Number: | (870) 338-6474 |
| Email Address: | smurray@pccua.edu |
| Davis, California | |
| Grantee: | Regents of the University of California |
| Year One Funding: | $1,800,000 |
| Director's Name: | Lianne Richelieu-Boren |
| Phone Number: | (530) 245-1844 |
| Email Address: | lrrichelieu@ucdavis.edu |
| Fullerton, California | |
| Grantee: | California State University, Fullerton |
| Year One Funding: | $972,596 |
| Director's Name: | Kandy Mink Salas |
| Phone Number: | (657) 278-2979 |
| Email Address: | kmink@fullerton.edu |
| Los Angeles, California | |
| Grantee: | Los Angeles Unified School District- GEAR UP 4 LA |
| Year One Funding: | $3,017,600 |
| Director's Name: | Micaela Vazquez-Hahn |
| Phone Number: | (323) 422-3398 |
| Email Address: | mjv1705@lausd.net |
| Los Angeles, California | |
| Grantee: | Los Angeles Unified School District |
| Year One Funding: | $1,357,905 |
| Director's Name: | Yolia Aguirre-Goar |
| Phone Number: | (818) 753-6255 |
| Email Address: | yoliaa@aol.com |
| Oceanside, California | |
| Grantee: | MiraCosta Community College District |
| Year One Funding: | $1,076,052 |
| Director's Name: | Richard Robertson |
| Phone Number: | (760) 795-6898 |
| Email Address: | drobertson@miracosta.edu |
| Rancho Palos Verdes, California | |
| Grantee: | Marymount College |
| Year One Funding: | $2,697,979 |
| Director's Name: | Ford Roosevelt |
| Phone Number: | (818) 760-4695 |
| Email Address: | froosevelt@projectgradla.org |
| San Marcos, California | |
| Grantee: | Palomar Community College District |
| Year One Funding: | $2,524,920 |
| Director's Name: | Calvin One Deer Gavin |
| Phone Number: | (760) 744-1150 |
| Email Address: | onedeer@palomar.edu |
| Santa Cruz, California | |
| Grantee: | The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Year One Funding: | $1,121,600 |
| Director's Name: | Maria Rocha-Ruiz |
| Phone Number: | (831) 459-1811 |
| Email Address: | mgrruiz@ucsc.edu |
| Grantee: | The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Year One Funding: | $1,232,800 |
| Director's Name: | Maria Rocha-Ruiz |
| Phone Number: | (831) 459-1811 |
| Email Address: | mgrruiz@ucsc.edu |
| Denver, Colorado | |
| Grantee: | School District 1, City and Council of Denver |
| Year One Funding: | $731,976 |
| Director's Name: | Gary Cooper |
| Phone Number: | (720) 423-6814 |
| Email Address: | Gary_Cooper@dpsk12.org |
| New Haven, Connecticut | |
| Grantee: | Yale University |
| Year One Funding: | $1,148,000 |
| Director's Name: | Nadia Ward |
| Phone Number: | (203) 789-7645 |
| Email Address: | nadia.ward@yale.edu |
| Miami, Florida | |
| Grantee: | Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus |
| Year One Funding: | $791,338 |
| Director's Name: | Madeline Pumariega |
| Phone Number: | (305) 277-7600 |
| Email Address: | mpumarie@mdc.edu |
| Macon, Georgia | |
| Grantee: | Bibb County School District |
| Year One Funding: | $2,872,058 |
| Director's Name: | Sharon Roberts |
| Phone Number: | (478) 765-8527 |
| Email Address: | sroberts@bibb.k12.ga.us |
| Savannah, Georgia | |
| Grantee: | Savannah State University |
| Year One Funding: | $400,000 |
| Director's Name: | Tamara Waterman |
| Phone Number: | (912) 644-5991 |
| Email Address: | waterman@savannahstate.edu |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | |
| Grantee: | University of Hawaii |
| Year One Funding: | $367,891 |
| Director's Name: | Joseph Mobley |
| Phone Number: | (808) 454-4773 |
| Email Address: | jmobley@uhwo.hawaii.edu |
| Chicago, Illinois | |
| Grantee: | Northeastern Illinois University |
| Year One Funding: | $7,027,200 |
| Director's Name: | Margaret Boyter-Escalona |
| Phone Number: | (312) 733-7330 |
| Email Address: | M-Boyter@neiu.edu |
| Lawrence, Kansas | |
| Grantee: | University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. |
| Year One Funding: | $640,000 |
| Director's Name: | Ngondi Kamatuka |
| Phone Number: | (785) 864-3401 |
| Email Address: | kamatuka@ku.edu |
| Grantee: | University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. |
| Year One Funding: | $640,000 |
| Director's Name: | Ngondi Kamatuka |
| Phone Number: | (785) 864-3401 |
| Email Address: | kamatuka@ku.edu |
| Berea, Kentucky | |
| Grantee: | Berea College |
| Year One Funding: | $5,688,800 |
| Director's Name: | Dreama Gentry |
| Phone Number: | (859) 985-3853 |
| Email Address: | dreama_gentry@berea.edu |
| Grantee: | Berea College |
| Year One Funding: | $4,983,200 |
| Director's Name: | Dreama Gentry |
| Phone Number: | (859) 985-3853 |
| Email Address: | dreama_gentry@berea.edu |
| Roswell, New Mexico | |
| Grantee: | Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell |
| Year One Funding: | $1,380,800 |
| Director's Name: | Steve Markl |
| Phone Number: | (575) 624-7067 |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Grantee: | Board of Regents, NSHE obo University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Year One Funding: | $2,881,608 |
| Director's Name: | William Sullivan |
| Phone Number: | (702) 895-4777 |
| Email Address: | william.sullivan@unlv.edu |
| Grantee: | Board of Regents, NSHE obo University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Year One Funding: | $1,660,733 |
| Director's Name: | William Sullivan |
| Phone Number: | (702) 895-4777 |
| Email Address: | william.sullivan@unlv.edu |
| Grantee: | Board of Regents, NSHE obo University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Year One Funding: | $2,464,426 |
| Director's Name: | William Sullivan |
| Phone Number: | (702) 895-4777 |
| Email Address: | william.sullivan@unlv.edu |
| Utica, New York | |
| Grantee: | Mohawk Valley Community College |
| Year One Funding: | $519,790 |
| Director's Name: | Franca Armstrong |
| Phone Number: | (315) 792-5321 |
| Email Address: | farmstrong@mvcc.edu |
| Lorain, Ohio | |
| Grantee: | Lorain City School District |
| Year One Funding: | $400,000 |
| Director's Name: | Rachel Tansey |
| Phone Number: | (440) 233-2359 |
| Email Address: | rtansey@lorain.k12.oh.us |
| Norman, Oklahoma | |
| Grantee: | The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma |
| Year One Funding: | $3,716,800 |
| Director's Name: | Scott Wilson |
| Phone Number: | (405) 325-2608 |
| Email Address: | scott.wilson@ou.edu |
| Wilburton, Oklahoma | |
| Grantee: | Eastern Oklahoma State College |
| Year One Funding: | $1,885,600 |
| Director's Name: | Linda Morgan |
| Phone Number: | (918) 465-1722 |
| Email Address: | lmorgan@eosc.edu |
| Portland, Oregon | |
| Grantee: | School District 1J Multnomah County |
| Year One Funding: | $1,322,080 |
| Director's Name: | Susan Jordan |
| Phone Number: | (503) 916-3447 |
| Email Address: | sjordan@pps.k12.or.us |
| Lancaster, Pennsylvania | |
| Grantee: | School District of Lancaster |
| Year One Funding: | $1,199,288 |
| Director's Name: | Barbara Lombardo |
| Phone Number: | (717) 291-6149 |
| Email Address: | bwlombardo@lancaster.k12.pa.us |
| Charleston, South Carolina | |
| Grantee: | Charleston County School District |
| Year One Funding: | $882,025 |
| Director's Name: | Virginia Reijners |
| Phone Number: | (843) 937-6300 |
| Email Address: | virginia_reijners@charleston.k12.sc.us |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Grantee: | The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| Year One Funding: | $624,512 |
| Director's Name: | Hunter Huckabay |
| Phone Number: | (423) 425-5386 |
| Email Address: | Hunter-Huckabay@utc.edu |
| Alpine, Texas | |
| Grantee: | Sul Ross State University |
| Year One Funding: | $772,000 |
| Director's Name: | Aster Trevino |
| Phone Number: | (432) 837-8807 |
| Email Address: | atrevino@sulross.edu |
| Edinburg, Texas | |
| Grantee: | Region One Education Service Center |
| Year One Funding: | $6,999,176 |
| Director's Name: | Tina Atkins |
| Phone Number: | (956) 984-6220 |
| Email Address: | tatkins@esc1.net |
| El Paso, Texas | |
| Grantee: | The University of Texas at El Paso |
| Year One Funding: | $2,701,830 |
| Director's Name: | Juliette Caire |
| Phone Number: | (915) 747-5367 |
| Email Address: | jcaire@utep.edu |
| Laredo, Texas | |
| Grantee: | Texas A&M International University |
| Year One Funding: | $6,396,824 |
| Director's Name: | Julio Madrigal |
| Phone Number: | (956) 326-2720 |
| Email Address: | jfmadrigal@tamiu.edu |
| Nacogdoches, Texas | |
| Grantee: | Stephen F. Austin State University |
| Year One Funding: | $1,184,997 |
| Director's Name: | Betty Alford |
| Phone Number: | (936) 468-2908 |
| Email Address: | balford@sfasu.edu |
| San Antonio, Texas | |
| Grantee: | San Antonio Independent School District |
| Year One Funding: | $4,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Roxanne Rosales |
| Phone Number: | (210) 354-3626 |
| Email Address: | rrosales@saisd.net |
| Waco, Texas | |
| Grantee: | Education Service Center Region 12 |
| Year One Funding: | $3,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Glynis Rosas |
| Phone Number: | (254) 297-1108 |
| Email Address: | grosas@esc12.net |
| Ogden, Utah | |
| Grantee: | Ogden School District |
| Year One Funding: | $799,100 |
| Director's Name: | Kathleen Bideaux | Phone Number: | (801) 737-7382 |
| Ellensburg, Washington | |
| Grantee: | Central Washington University |
| Year One Funding: | $1,632,000 |
| Director's Name: | Julie Guggino |
| Phone Number: | (509) 963-2640 |
| Email Address: | gugginoj@cwu.edu |
| Pullman, Washington | |
| Grantee: | Washington State University |
| Year One Funding: | $2,996,800 |
| Director's Name: | Genoveva Morales |
| Phone Number: | (509) 372-7308 |
| Email Address: | gmorales@earlyoutreach.wsu.edu |
| Grantee: | Washington State University |
| Year One Funding: | $2,309,600 |
| Director's Name: | Genoveva Morales |
| Phone Number: | (509) 372-7308 |
| Email Address: | gmorales@earlyoutreach.wsu.edu |
| Seattle, Washington | |
| Grantee: | University of Washington |
| Year One Funding: | $3,964,000 |
| Director's Name: | Loueta Johnson |
| Phone Number: | (509) 865-8670 |
| Email Address: | johnsonl@u.washington.edu |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
| Grantee: | Milwaukee Public Schools |
| Year One Funding: | $2,212,000 |
| Director's Name: | Caroline Williams |
| Phone Number: | (414) 475-8174 |
| Email Address: | williac2@milwaukee.k12.wi.us |
FY 2011 GEAR UP State Grants Awards
| Oakland, California | |
| Grantee: | The Regents of the University of California |
| Year One Funding: | $5,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Penny Edgert |
| Phone Number: | (916) 327-1821 |
| Email Address: | pedgert@cde.ca.gov |
| Denver, Colorado | |
| Grantee: | Colorado Department of Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $5,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Scott Mendelsberg |
| Phone Number: | (303) 866-2723 |
| Email Address: | scott.mendelsberg@dhe.state.co.us |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | |
| Grantee: | University of Hawaii |
| Year One Funding: | $3,425,674 |
| Director's Name: | Angela Jackson |
| Phone Number: | (808) 956-3250 |
| Email Address: | angela.jackson@hawaii.edu |
| Boise, Idaho | |
| Grantee: | Idaho State Department of Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,252,744 |
| Director's Name: | Carina Davio |
| Phone Number: | (208) 332-6944 |
| Email Address: | cdavio@sde.idaho.gov |
| Frankfort, Kentucky | |
| Grantee: | General Government Cabinet, Kentucky |
| Year One Funding: | $4,487,000 |
| Director's Name: | Yvonne Lovell |
| Phone Number: | (502) 573-1555 |
| Email Address: | yvonne.lovell@ky.gov |
| Revere, Massachusetts | |
| Grantee: | Massachusetts Board of Higher Education System |
| Year One Funding: | $5,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Robert Dais |
| Phone Number: | (617) 727-9420 |
| Email Address: | rdais@osfa.mass.edu |
| Lansing, Michigan | |
| Grantee: | Michigan Strategic Fund |
| Year One Funding: | $3,360,140 |
| Director's Name: | Rudy Redmond |
| Phone Number: | (517) 373-9700 |
| Email Address: | redmondr@michigan.gov |
| Saint Paul, Minnesota | |
| Grantee: | Minnesota Office of Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,100,010 |
| Director's Name: | Mary Lou Dresbach | Phone Number: | (651) 259-3940 |
| Helena, Montana | |
| Grantee: | Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $4,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Sandra Merdinger |
| Phone Number: | (406) 444-0317 |
| Email Address: | smerdinger@montana.edu |
| Trenton, New Jersey | |
| Grantee: | New Jersey Commission on Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,978,424 |
| Director's Name: | Glenn Lang |
| Phone Number: | (609) 292-4310 |
| Email Address: | glang@che.state.nj.us |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |
| Grantee: | Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $4,999,183 |
| Director's Name: | Jolynn Horn |
| Phone Number: | (405) 225-9376 |
| Email Address: | jhorn@osrhe.edu |
| Providence, Rhode Island | |
| Grantee: | Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,097,787 |
| Director's Name: | William Formicola |
| Phone Number: | (401) 854-5500 |
| Email Address: | wformicola@thecollegecrusade.org |
| Columbia, South Carolina | |
| Grantee: | South Carolina Commission on Higher Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,499,482 |
| Director's Name: | Karen Woodfaulk |
| Phone Number: | (803) 737-2244 |
| Email Address: | kwoodfaulk@che.sc.gov |
| Pierre, South Dakota | |
| Grantee: | South Dakota Department of Education |
| Year One Funding: | $3,483,736 |
| Director's Name: | Roger Campbell |
| Phone Number: | (605) 773-3783 |
| Email Address: | Roger.Campbell@state.sd.us |
| Orem, Utah | |
| Grantee: | Utah Valley University |
| Year One Funding: | $3,982,438 |
| Director's Name: | Laurie Miller |
| Phone Number: | (801) 863-6000 |
| Email Address: | laurie.miller@uvu.edu |
| Winooski, Vermont | |
| Grantee: | Vermont Student Assistance Corporation |
| Year One Funding: | $4,591,852 |
| Director's Name: | Linda Shiller |
| Phone Number: | (800) 642-3177 |
| Email Address: | shiller@vsac.org |
| Olympia, Washington | |
| Grantee: | Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board |
| Year One Funding: | $4,500,000 |
| Director's Name: | Weiya Liang |
| Phone Number: | (360) 753-7884 |
| Email Address: | weiyal@hecb.wa.gov |
| Madison, Wisconsin | |
| Grantee: | Department of Public Instruction |
| Year One Funding: | $5,000,000 |
| Director's Name: | Bonnie Dockry |
| Phone Number: | (715) 836-3469 |
| Email Address: | bonnie.dockry@dpi.wi.gov |
| Laramie, Wyoming | |
| Grantee: | University of Wyoming |
| Year One Funding: | $3,548,876 |
| Director's Name: | Judy Trujillo |
| Phone Number: | (307) 766-6189 |
| Email Address: | jtrujil7@uwyo.edu |
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