It was established in Chapter 2 of the 1998 amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 which awarded financial assistance to students and colleges from the federal government.
[1] GEAR UP was authored by Congressman Chaka Fattah and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in October, 1998.
This cohort is followed by the grant program throughout high school, with some students receiving scholarships to help them attend in-state public universities.
[4] Applicants that are awarded grants ("grantees") are required to submit annual performance reports to ensure that their implementation of these funds falls in line with the mission of the US Department of Education.
This program provides a guarantee of financial aid to low-income students who have obtained a secondary diploma or its equivalent.
The grant also stipulates that at least 50% of the participants must be eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or are at or below 150% of the Federal poverty level.
[10] Funds can support identification of at-risk children, after school and summer tutoring, assistance in obtaining summer jobs, academic counseling, volunteer and parent involvement, providing former or current scholarship recipients as mentor or peer counselors, skills assessment, providing access to rigorous core courses that reflect challenging academic standards, personal counseling, family counseling and home visits, staff development, programs for students of limited English proficiency, and summer programs for remedial, developmental or supportive purposes.
[11] Not more than 10% of the students from a secondary school can be eligible, in a process requiring application and dependent in part on class rank.
These students must attend in-state higher education institutes, unless the college or university provides for portability of funding.
The scholarships provided must be no less than 75% of the average cost of attendance for an in-state student in a four-year program at a public institution, and no less than the maximum Federal Pell Grant for that fiscal year.
2017 and 2018: Bogan, Corliss, Douglass, Dunbar, Farragut, Foreman, Hancock, Harlan, Hope, Hubbard, Hyde Park, Julian, Kelvyn Park, Little Village, Manley, Raby, Robeson, Roosevelt, Senn, Solorio, Spry Community Links, Engelwood Technical Prep Academy, Uplift, and Well Community Academy.
2020 and 2021: Bogan, Farragut, Foreman, Goode, Harlan, Hubbard, Julian, Kelly, Morgan Park, Robeson, Roosevelt, Senn, Solorio, and Engelwood Technical Prep Academy.