Utah Valley University (UVU) has been awarded a seven-year, $31.5 million federal grant to oversee the GEAR UP Utah program that will help approximately 4,500 low-income students in the state prepare for college.
Utah Valley University (UVU) has been awarded a seven-year, $31.5 million federal grant to oversee the GEAR UP Utah program that will help approximately 4,500 low-income students in the state prepare for college.
GEAR UP is a federally funded college readiness programthat provides academic support, personal mentoring, financial literacy training, and scholarships to low-income high school students to help them address the additional challenges they face when preparing to attend college.
UVU will oversee the programs in Utah and Salt Lake Counties and will contract with Utah State University at Logan and Price, Weber State University, and the San Juan Foundation to run the program in their areas. Advisors from these organizations are assigned to middle and high schools in their surrounding geographic areas to provide academic support, personal mentoring, and financial literacy training to the students and their parents.
Since its creation in 2005, GEAR UP Utah has assisted 28,098 low-income students in Utah. Eligible students are selected based on location and income. GEAR UP Utah’s service region covers over 21,000 square miles and includes 16 school districts and 53 schools in 11 counties throughout the state.
UVU Associate Vice President of Access and Outreach Barney Nye, Ph.D., oversees the program. He emphasized the grant’s significance and how it will impact many students’ academic experiences. “This award highlights UVU’s long-standing commitment to higher education access for low-income youth in the state of Utah,” Nye reported. “It reinforces our willingness to roll up our sleeves to make sure these students have the best possible academic preparation, college and career guidance, and visioning opportunities to transform their educational dreams into reality.”
The United States Department of Education requires GEAR UP Utah to provide scholarships to eligible students based on participation, following federal financial aid guidelines. The holistic approach promotes individual student success through clear goal-setting, exploring options, and strengthening academic self-confidence.
