2025 Awards Announced
New GEAR UP Grant Awards Stemming from the 2025 Competition
In perhaps the most unusual award cycle in GEAR UP’s history, we welcome 40 new GEAR UP awards stemming from the 2025 competition for GEAR UP State and Partnership awards.
This is always a bittersweet moment, as we are thrilled to welcome so many new GEAR UP students and families into the program, while recognizing that so many worthy applicants remain unfunded. We will do everything in our power to advocate for increased GEAR UP funding, so these states and communities have an opportunity to apply again soon.
The GEAR UP program remains remarkably competitive, even in a year where applicants were asked to submit their applications twice.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the competition:
Partnership Grants
Of the 146 eligible applicants in the Partnership competition, 32 applicants received awards. In total, these Partnership awardees received a total of $68.4 million in first-year funding, representing 63% of the $108 million available for new awards.
The competition was fierce, with more applicants with perfect scores (100 points out of 100) than dollars available, so the U.S. Department of Education had to utilize a tie-breaker, where applicants serving schools with higher poverty rates were favored.
State Grants
Of the 10 eligible applicants in the State competition, 8 applicants received awards. In total, these State awardees received a total of $39.6 million in first-year funding, representing 37% of the $108 million available for new awards.
The cut-off score for State grants was 100.33 out of a possible 102 points.
Here is the roster of new GEAR UP grant awards along with their first-year budget, listed in alphabetical order by state, then organizational name.
State Grants
CA – The Regents of the University of California — $4,998,998
CO – Colorado Department of Higher Education — $5,000,000
HI – University of Hawaii — $5,000,000
ID – Idaho State Department of Education — $5,000,000
KY – Commonwealth of Kentucky, Council on Postsecondary Education — $4,999,995
MA – MA Department of Higher Education — $5,000,000
TX – Texas Education Agency — $5,000,000
VT – Vermont Student Assistance Corporation — $4,599,148
Partnership Grants
CA – Animo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School — $1,263,200
CA – Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation — $529,600
CA – Imperial County Office of Education — $1,881,600
CA – The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz — $1,217,600
CA – The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz — $1,482,400
GA – Dougherty County School System — $1,497,600
IN – Fort Wayne Community Schools — $2,768,800
KS – Wichita State University — $1,070,400
KS – Wichita State University — $810,400
KY – Kentucky Educational Development Corporation — $3,230,400
LA – Louisiana State University — $795,200
MA – Mount Wachusett Community College — $665,600
MI – Davenport University — $1,432,779
MI – Western Michigan University — $1,995,443
MS – Jackson Public School District — $1,524,798
NC – Fayetteville State University — $1,908,800
NY – Mohawk Valley Community College — $856,000
NY – Research Foundation of the City University of New York — $2,300,000
OH – ESC of Northeast Ohio — $1,663,200
OK – University of Oklahoma – Norman Campus — $5,698,400
PA – Norristown Area School District — $1,267,200
PA – West Chester University of Pennsylvania — $1,465,997
TN – East Tennessee State University — $4,072,485
TX – Region One Education Service Center — $4,995,200
TX – Region One Education Service Center — $4,558,400
TX – San Jacinto Community College District — $1,199,907
TX – Sul Ross State University — $1,070,400
TX – The University of Texas at Austin — $4,338,400
TX – The University of Texas at Austin — $3,255,200
VA – Longwood University — $1,184,120
WA – University of Washington — $3,118,400
WI – Milwaukee Board of School Directors — $3,283,200