ered to be made to a section or other provision of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.). 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In 1998, Congress created the Gaining 
Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate 
Programs (GEAR UP) following the leadership and 
innovation of successful programs such as Say Yes 
to Education, 21st Century Scholars Program, Tell 
Them We Are Rising, ‘‘I Have a Dream’’ Founda-
tion, Project GRAD, and others. GEAR UP, origi-
nally conceived of as High Hopes, is now one of the 
most innovative and successful national college ac-
cess programs. 
(2) Though college has become a reality for 
more families now than ever before, an opportunity 
gap continues to exist in which low-income students 
are far less likely to earn a high school diploma, and 
enroll in and complete college. Whereas 73.9 percent 
of all students nationally graduate from high school, 
only 52.1 percent of children from low-income fami-
lies achieve this educational milestone. While 76 per-
cent of high-income high school graduates enroll in 
college or trade school, only 49 percent of low-in-
come graduates do so. 
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(3) Since its enactment, GEAR UP has served 
approximately 2 million students in 48 states, the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, 
Palau and Puerto Rico. The Department of Edu-
cation reports that 84.4 percent of the first class of 
GEAR UP students graduated from high school, 
while only 52.1 percent of low-income students and 
73.9 percent all students nationally achieved this 
same educational milestone. An ACT study found 
that students from GEAR UP schools had greater 
changes in academic performance, were more likely 
to be on track to be college-ready in English and 
Reading, more likely to take the core high school 
curriculum, and more likely to have plans for college 
at grade 10. 
SEC. 3. AWARD PERIOD; PRIORITY. 
Section 404A(b) (20 U.S.C. 1070a–21(b)) is amend-
ed by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) AWARD
PERIOD.—The Secretary may 
award a grant under this chapter to an eligible enti-
ty described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection 
(c) for 7 years. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making awards to eligible 
entities described in subsection (c)(1), the Secretary 
shall— 
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‘‘(A) give priority to eligible entities that— 
‘‘(i) on the day before the date of en-
actment of the GEAR UP Enhancement 
Act of 2007, carried out successful edu-
cational opportunity programs under this 
chapter (as this chapter was in effect on 
such day); and 
‘‘(ii) have a prior, demonstrated com-
mitment to early intervention leading to 
college access through collaboration and 
replication of successful strategies; and 
‘‘(B) ensure that students served under 
this chapter on the day before the date of en-
actment of the GEAR UP Enhancement Act of 
2007 continue to receive assistance through the 
completion of secondary school.’’. 
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS: CONTINUITY OF SERVICES. 
(a) COHORT APPROACH.—Section 404B(g)(1) (20 
U.S.C. 1070a–22(g)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (A); 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and provide the option of 
continued services through the student’s first 
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year of attendance at an institution of higher 
education’’ after ‘‘grade level’’; and 
(B) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C) provide services under this chapter to 
students who have received services under a 
previous GEAR UP grant award but have not 
yet completed the 12th grade.’’. 
(b) EARLY
INTERVENTION.—Section 404D (20 
U.S.C. 1070a–24) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause 
(ii); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
clause (iii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iv) the transition to college or post- 
secondary education through continuity of 
services to support students in and 
through the first year of attendance at an 
institution of higher education.’’; 
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(2) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘and 
students in the first year of attendance at an insti-
tution of higher education’’ after ‘‘grade 12’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘, and may 
consider students in their first year of attendance at 
an institution,’’ after ‘‘grade 12’’. 
SEC. 5. FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING MATCHING REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
Section 404C (20 U.S.C. 1070a–23) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘and 
accrued over the full duration of the grant 
award period’’ after ‘‘in cash or in kind’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end 
the following new sentence: ‘‘Eligible entities 
may request reduced match percentage at the 
time of application or by petition at any time 
during the grant award period.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL SPECIAL RULE.—To encour-
age eligible entities described in 404A(c) to provide 
students under this chapter with financial assistance 
for post-secondary education, each dollar of non- 
Federal funds obligated under subsection (c)(1) and 
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(c)(2) shall, for purposes of paragraph (1)(A) of this 
subsection, be treated as 2 dollars.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘paid to 
students from State, local, institutional, or pri-
vate funds under this chapter’’ and inserting 
‘‘obligated to students from state, local, institu-
tional, or private funds under this chapter, in-
cluding pre-existing , non-federal financial as-
sistance programs’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2); 
(C) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (3); and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) other resources recognized by the Sec-
retary, including equipment and supplies, cash con-
tribution from non-Federal sources, transportation 
expenses, in-kind or discounted program services, in-
direct costs, and facility usage.’’. 
SEC. 6. EARLY INTERVENTION. 
Section 404D (20 U.S.C. 1070a–24) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii), by striking ‘‘and 
academic counseling’’ and inserting ‘‘, academic 
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counseling, and financial literacy and economic lit-
eracy education or counseling’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(F) Fostering and improving parent and 
family involvement in elementary and secondary 
education by promoting the advantages of a col-
lege education, and emphasizing academic ad-
mission requirements and the need to take col-
lege preparation courses, through parent en-
gagement and leadership activities. 
‘‘(G) Engaging entities described in section 
404A(c)(2)(C) in a collaborative manner to pro-
vide matching resources and participate in 
other activities authorized under this section. 
‘‘(H) Disseminating information that pro-
motes the importance of higher education, ex-
plains college preparation and admission re-
quirements, and raises awareness of the re-
sources and services provided by the eligible en-
tities described in section 404A(c) to eligible 
students, their families, and communities.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end of subsection (b) the 
following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES FOR 
STATES.—In meeting the requirements of subsection 
(a), an eligible entity described in section 404A(c) 
(1) receiving funds under this chapter may, in addi-
tion to the activities authorized by paragraph (2), 
use funds to providing technical assistance to— 
‘‘(A) middle schools or secondary schools 
that are located within the State; or 
‘‘(B) partnerships described in section 
404A(c)(2) that are located within the State.’’. 
SEC. 7. SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENT. 
Section 404E (20 U.S.C. 1070a–25) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘scholar-
ships to students to supplement aid for which they 
are regularly eligible’’ after ‘‘shall establish or main-
tain a financial assistance program that awards’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ‘‘scholar-
ships to students to supplement aid for which they 
are regularly eligible’’ after ‘‘An eligible entity de-
scribed in section 404A(c)(2) may award’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘the max-
imum Federal Pell Grant’’ and inserting ‘‘the min-
imum Federal Pell Grant’’. 
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SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 404H (20 U.S.C. 1070a–31) is amended by 
striking ‘‘$200,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘$500,000,000 for fiscal year 
2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
6 succeeding fiscal years’’. 
Æ 
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