Gaining Early Awareness 

and Readiness for 

Undergraduate Programs 

(GEAR UP)

FY 2024 Grant Competition 

Partnership Program (84.334A)

Applicant Resource
The GEAR UP Partnership program 

provides grants to group applicants to assist 

students in obtaining a secondary school 

diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and 

to prepare for and succeed 

in postsecondary education, especially for 

students from low-income backgrounds, 

including students with disabilities.

In FY 2024, the Department estimates 

making approximately 34 awards.

The estimated range of awards is

$100,000 - $5,000,000 for each 

annual budget period, for a performance 

period of 72 or 84 months.

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP – Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for

guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), the program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional

information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.
What is GEAR UP?

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate 

Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants

The GEAR UP discretionary grant program is designed to increase the 

number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed 

in postsecondary education. It provides six- or seven-year grants to 

Partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. 

These competitive programs have an early intervention component 

designed to increase college attendance and success.

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Eligible Entities

Partnership programs consist of (i) one or more local educational agency (LEA) and 

(ii) one or more degree-granting institutions of higher education (IHE). Additionally, it 

may include not less than two other community organizations or entities, such as 

businesses, professional organizations, State agencies, or other public or private 

agencies or organizations.

The applicant entity must be either an LEA or an IHE.

Note: A Partnership under this competition must follow the procedures under 34 CFR 

75.127 – 75.129 in developing a group application. This includes developing an 

agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform 

and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the 

applicant in the application. This agreement must be submitted with the application.

Overview and Eligibility
Key Project Activities

Key Project Activities

Required and Permissible Activities

The GEAR UP program regulations outline which activities all projects must carry 

out as well as those that they may optionally choose to incorporate:

- Required Activities: § 694.21

- Permissible Activities: § 694.22

-In addition, Partnership grants may choose to provide scholarships to eligible 

participants.

Postsecondary 

Preparation: implement 

activities to improve the 

number of participating 

students who complete 

applications for and, enroll 

in, a program of 

postsecondary education

Early Intervention 

Services: implement 

activitiesto improve the 

number of participating 

students who obtain a

secondary school diploma

Financial Aid:

provide financial aid

information for

postsecondary 

education

Coursework:

encourage enrollment in

rigorous and challenging

coursework in order to

reduce the need for

remediation at the 

postsecondary level

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Project Elements
Matching Requirements

The GEAR UP statute includes requirements for grantees on matching funds. For full 

details, see the program regulations in § 694.7 and § 694.8, and also refer to the Notice 

Inviting Applications.

Matching Requirement

Partnerships must provide from State, local, institutional, or private funds

at least 50% of the cost of the program, which may be provided in cash or

in-kind. That is, $1 in non-federal funds for every $1 in federal funds.

. In-kind contributions may include:

(1)The amount of the financial assistance obligated under GEAR UP to 

students from State, local, institutional, or private funds.

(2)The amount of tuition, fees,room or board waived or reduced for

recipients of financial assistance under GEAR UP.

(3)The amount expended on documented, targeted, long-term mentoring

and counseling provided by volunteers or paid staff of non-school

organizations, including businesses, religious organizations, community

groups, postsecondary educational institutions, nonprofit and 

philanthropic organizations, and other organizations.

(4) Equipment and supplies, cash contributions from non-Federal

sources, transportation expenses, in-kind or discounted program

services, indirect costs, and facility usage.

Note: Partnerships may request and be approved for a reduced match 

percentage at the time of application by demonstrating significant 

economic hardship. See §694.8 of the GEAR UP program regulations 

and the Notice Inviting Applications for specific details on requesting a 

waiver of match requirements.

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Matching Requirement
Implementation Model

Cohort Model

Under the cohort model, Partnerships provide services to an entire grade level of

students, with the below parameters:

 Provide services to at least one grade level of students (e.g., all 7th graders);

 Begin services no later than 7th grade;

 Ensure services are provided through the 12th grade to students in the

participating grade level;

 Ensure services are provided through the students’ first year of attendance at an

institution of higher education (with a seven-year grant award);

 After the students complete the last grade level at the originating school, the

project must continue to provide services to the school that the substantial

majority of students attend; and

 Provide services to students who have received services under a previous GEAR

UP grant award but have not yet completed the 12th grade.

Important Notes

An applicant implementing a cohort model must comply with the following requirements

regarding the originating target school:

 At least fifty percent of the students enrolled in the school must be eligible for free or

reduced-price lunch; and

 Must have a 7th grade class.

Programs implementing a cohort model can elect to provide services to an entire grade

level of students who reside in public housing.

All originating target schools should be included in your application. School eligibility is 

determined based on the information provided in the application.

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Partnerships may only implement a cohort model. 

Implementation Model
Key Application Elements

The application includes three optional competitive preference priorities and five selection criteria.

Competitive 

Priorities

Selection Criteria

Meeting Student Social, 

Emotional, and Academic 

Needs 

(up to 5 points)

Increasing Postsecondary 

Education Access, Affordability, 

Completion, and PostEnrollment Success 

(up to 5 points)

Up to 10

points

Need for Project: (i) the magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed, (ii) the

extent to which the proposed project will provide services or otherwise address the needs of

students at risk of educational failure, and (iii) the extent to which the proposed project will

focus on serving or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.

Up to 30 

points

Project Design: (i) the extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes are clearly 

specified and measurable, (ii) the extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a rationale,

(iii) the extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach for meeting

statutory purposes and requirements, and (iv) how the applicant will ensure that a diversity of

perspectives are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including those of

parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of disciplinary and professional fields,

recipients or beneficiaries of services, or others, as appropriate.

Up to

15 points

Adequacy of Resources: (i) the adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, 

and other resources and the relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project, (ii) the extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of 

persons to be served and to the anticipated results and benefits, and (iii) the potential for

continued support of the project after Federal funding ends.

Up to 20 

points

Project Personnel: (i) the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for

employment from persons who are members of groups that have been historically

underrepresented, (ii) the qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the 

project director and (iii) other key personnel, and (iv) the extent to which the time commitments

of key personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.

Up to 25

points

Project Evaluation: (i) the extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of 

objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project

and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible, (ii) the extent to which 

the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of

progress toward achieving intended outcomes, and (iii) the extent to which the methods of 

evaluation will produce promising evidence about the project’s effectiveness.

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Moderate Evidence

(3 points)

Selection Criteria
Pre-Application Webinar

Still have questions? The Department is hosting GEAR UP Partnership PreApplication Webinars with live Q&As. This is a chance to learn more about 

the program, eligibility, and the application process. 

The pre-application technical assistance webinars are scheduled for:

Thursday, March 21st at 1:00pm EST

and

Thursday, March 28th at 1:00pm EST

Look for more details and a log-in link for the webinars on our website:

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/applicant.html

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

Pre-Application Webinar
FAQs & Resources

Common Questions

Does the amount of funds requested in the 

application need to stay the same for all

years of the project?

No, the funding amounts by year may vary based

on anticipated needs and number of students.

However, the funding amount can never go higher

than year one.

Are subgrantees allowable for

this program?

A grantee under this competition may 

not award subgrants to entities to 

directly carry out project activities 

described in its application.

Resources & Contact

Program Website Grants.gov

Points of Contact

BenWitthoefft Nicole Josemans

ben.witthoefft@ed.gov

202-453-7576

Nicole.Josemans@ed.gov

202-453-7111

This document is a brief summary of the GEAR UP Partnership program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), program statute, and the program regulations published in the Federal

Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.

See this webpage for additional FAQs:

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/

gearup/ faq.html