App State awarded $35 million grant to expand GEAR UP college access program
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BOONE, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant to Appalachian State University's College Access Partnerships in the Reich College of Education. The award represents the largest single grant ever awarded to the university.
GEAR UP is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-based services to students, families and teachers, the GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment rates.
App State is one of only 18 institutions nationwide awarded a GEAR UP grant in 2024, and it is the largest award in this cycle. The university administers multiple GEAR UP grants, and the most recent grant program, which began on Sept. 1, is known as GEAR UP APEX (Advancing Prosperity through Education and eXcellence). GEAR UP APEX includes 12 school districts and seven partnering North Carolina higher education institutions, all working together to provide college and career services to nearly 14,500 middle and high school students and their families.
“App State is honored to receive federal grant funding to extend the GEAR UP college access program to even more middle and high school students in our community, affirming our belief that every student, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to pursue higher education,” said App State Interim Chancellor Heather Norris. “By investing in their futures, we are investing in the future of our entire region.”
The 12 school districts, representing 52 middle and high schools, are:
- Burke
- Catawba
- Cherokee Central
- Clay
- Graham
- Jackson
- Macon
- Madison
- McDowell
- Polk
- Swain
- Transylvania
Higher education partners include:
- Western Piedmont Community College
- Isothermal Community College
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
- McDowell Technical Community College
- Blue Ridge Community College
- University of North Carolina Asheville
The grant is led by Dr. James Beeler, executive director of College Access Partnerships, and Corinne Smith, director of GEAR UP and director of operations for College Access Partnerships.
“We are thrilled to announce this unprecedented award that will allow the university to expand its GEAR UP program, enhancing educational opportunities and creating pathways to success for Western North Carolina students,” said Smith. “This milestone not only underscores the commitment to academic excellence, but also reinforces our dedication to fostering an environment where every student can thrive.”
The previous largest grant awarded to App State was a separate GEAR UP grant in the amount of $29.8 million. It was awarded in September 2020 and will operate concurrently through September 2027.
“These grants will have a significant and lasting impact on the students of Western North Carolina,” said Beeler. “This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment and steadfast support from our partners, including our university leadership, local school districts and higher education institutions. Together, we are paving the way for a brighter future, ensuring that every student is prepared to succeed beyond high school.”
Under the 2024 grant, Smith will serve as the principal investigator, College Access Partnerships Associate Director Doug Thompson will serve as the program director, and College Access Partnerships Assistant Director of Research and Evaluation Dr. Jui-Teng Li will serve as co-principal investigator.
Additional programmatic and support partners include myFutureNC, Participate Learning, Society for Science, National Postsecondary Strategy Institute, MasteryPrep, The Princeton Review, Leading Edge Learning, American School Counselor Association, Public School Forum of NC, Texas Instruments, Youth Villages, App State’s Mathematics and Science Education Center, Level All, AeroEducate, CoBro Consulting, and App State’s Center for Analytics Research and Education.
Celebrating decades of service
App State has implemented federal GEAR UP programming nearly every year since 1999. The current version of GEAR UP, which started in 2014, is celebrating 10 years of service this year. Programming provides a comprehensive range of services to low-income and high-need students, families and schools throughout the Western region of the state.
Starting in sixth grade, students and their families receive early awareness and academic services that fit their individual needs. GEAR UP serves all students in the target grade level and follows them through high school graduation and into the first year of college.
GEAR UP professional learning services are aligned to the needs of schools and their student populations as they progress through the grant in an effort to support systemic change efforts and monitor student success.
