UW College Readiness Program Wins $28M Federal Grant

A University of Wyoming program that helps eligible students complete high school prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education has been awarded a seven-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The award of $28 million to GEAR UP Wyoming (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) -- housed in UW's office of Student Educational Opportunity -- will fund statewide activities through 2031. The award came through a highly selective, discretionary grant competition in which only eight programs were funded nationally.

GEAR UP, UW's largest federal grant, has been continuously funded since 2005 and will continue to provide college access and academic preparation services and scholarship support to income-eligible students in grades 7-12 throughout Wyoming, as well as college freshmen attending UW and Wyoming's community colleges.

The program partners with staff located at Wyoming's community colleges to provide services to 2,000 middle and high school participants each year. GEAR UP also partners with the Wyoming Department of Education to implement statewide college access initiatives and to provide professional development to teachers and staff working in schools served by the program.

GEAR UP staff members conduct academic enrichment; coordinate individual and group tutoring; provide college entrance exam preparation and financial aid/scholarship application assistance; and hold workshops to familiarize parents with college admissions and financial aid processes. GEAR UP also conducts a weeklong summer camp on the UW campus designed to prepare participants to enroll in college upon high school graduation with sufficient academic and financial support to attain their postsecondary goals.

According to data from the 2021-22 academic year, 98 percent of GEAR UP Wyoming participants graduated from high school, compared to a 69 percent graduation rate for nonparticipating eligible students.

For more information about GEAR UP Wyoming, visit www.uwyo.edu/gearup or email [email protected]. You also may reach GEAR UP Wyoming by calling (307) 766-6189 or visiting Room 330 of Knight Hall on the UW campus.