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What is GEAR UP?

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative is one of the largest and most effective programs focused on increasing the college and career readiness of low-income students in communities nationwide.

GEAR UP is a highly competitive grant program that helps empower local partnerships comprised of K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, state agencies, and community organizations to achieve three strategic goals:

  1. Increasing the postsecondary expectations and readiness of students.
  2. Improving high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates.
  3. Raising the knowledge of postsecondary options, preparation, and financing among students and families.

OVERVIEW

Funded through a seven-year grant (2024-2031) from the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), GEAR UP TN works with counties across the state to promote college readiness and success. These counties receive direct services through the GEAR UP TN grant. GEAR UP TN also aims to provide educators, parents, and students across the state with resources and information on the college-going process.

The GEAR UP TN grant is administered by THEC’s College Access and Outreach Division, which also houses a number of other initiatives focused on college access and success. 

Currently, THEC serves 6 Tennessee counties through the 2024 GEAR UP TN grant.  

OBJECTIVES

GEAR UP TN’s programmatic objectives are to:

  1. Increase student academic achievement and course completion.
  2. Increase student performance on college entrance exams.
  3. Increase student high school graduation.
  4. Increase student postsecondary participation and success.
  5. Increase student and family educational expectations.
  6. Increase student and family knowledge of and access to financial assistance for postsecondary education.
  7. Increase parent and community engagement in activities associated with student preparation for college.
  8. Increase educator content-area knowledge and understanding.

WHO DOES GEAR UP TN SERVE?

GEAR UP TN serves students living primarily in high-poverty, low resourced areas of TN. Participating schools serve a student population with over 50% of students eligible for free & reduced-price lunch. Participating schools have a college-going rate that is below the state average when the program begins. 

GEAR UP TN supports over 9,000 students annually. Currently, GEAR UP TN 4.0 serves a 7th grade cohort in our direct service middle schools. In the 2025/2026 academic year, outreach will begin to seniors in our direct service high schools and a second 7th grade cohort. See below for a map that includes all of the high schools and middle schools that we currently serve. Each of these 28 sites employs one or two site coordinators who dedicate 100% of their time and effort to coordinating grant implementation.