GEAR UP College Readiness and Scholarships

GEAR UP grantees provide sustained college-readiness services to cohorts of students in high-poverty middle and high schools, with scholarships offered through state grants and some partnership projects.

Student in a school or cohort served by a funded GEAR UP projectEligible GEAR UP participant seeking a project scholarship

Entitlement facts

Benefit type: Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks: Comprehensive mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, college and career exposure, rigorous-course encouragement, financial-aid information, application support, family outreach, and, where the grantee offers them, postsecondary scholarships.
Who qualifies: Student in a school or cohort served by a funded GEAR UP project; Eligible GEAR UP participant seeking a project scholarship
Requirements: Students are served through a funded state or partnership project, commonly as an entire cohort beginning no later than seventh grade at a selected high-poverty school and followed through high school. Individual service and scholarship rules depend on the grantee; low-income, school enrollment, cohort, graduation, postsecondary admission, financial-aid, residency, and satisfactory-progress conditions can apply.
How to activate: Ask the student's school counseling office or district whether it participates in GEAR UP, or use the Department of Education's current grant-award lists to identify the serving grantee. Enroll through the local project and separately complete any scholarship and financial-aid steps it requires.
Cost basis: No-cost access. The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.
Cost and fees: Project services are free to participating students, but GEAR UP is not available at every school. Scholarships are not offered by every project, have separate eligibility and funding limits, and may not cover full college costs; participation does not guarantee admission or an award.
Geography: US, Funded GEAR UP schools, cohorts, states, and partnership service areas
Personalization: Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.

EVIDENCE / 1 SOURCE

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.

01U.S. Department of Education state and partnership granteesprovider↗

MACHINE RECORD

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  "name": "GEAR UP College Readiness and Scholarships",
  "provider": "U.S. Department of Education state and partnership grantees",
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    "archetype": "direct-program",
    "agent_instruction": "Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."
  },
  "summary": "GEAR UP grantees provide sustained college-readiness services to cohorts of students in high-poverty middle and high schools, with scholarships offered through state grants and some partnership projects.",
  "benefit": {
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    "activation": "Ask the student's school counseling office or district whether it participates in GEAR UP, or use the Department of Education's current grant-award lists to identify the serving grantee. Enroll through the local project and separately complete any scholarship and financial-aid steps it requires.",
    "cost_basis": "no-cost",
    "cost_basis_label": "No-cost access",
    "cost_basis_context": {
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      "agent_instruction": "Still disclose optional add-ons, transportation, parking, replacement charges, taxes, capacity, and eligibility conditions found in fees or requirements.",
      "variation_patterns": null,
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    },
    "fees": "Project services are free to participating students, but GEAR UP is not available at every school. Scholarships are not offered by every project, have separate eligibility and funding limits, and may not cover full college costs; participation does not guarantee admission or an award.",
    "personalized": false,
    "regions": [
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    "expires": null
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  "status": "verified",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-04",
  "claim_url": "https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-special-populations/grants-economically-disadvantaged-students/gaining-early-awareness-and-readiness-undergraduate-programs-gear/grant-awards",
  "source_url": "https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-special-populations/grants-economically-disadvantaged-students/gaining-early-awareness-and-readiness-undergraduate-programs-gear-84334a84334s",
  "source": {
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    "evidence": [
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        "url": "https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-special-populations/grants-economically-disadvantaged-students/gaining-early-awareness-and-readiness-undergraduate-programs-gear-84334a84334s",
        "kind": "provider",
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  "parent": null,
  "coverage": {
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    "jurisdiction": "United States",
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  "taxonomy": {
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  }
}

View JSON ↗

GEAR UP College Readiness and Scholarships

Entitlement facts

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

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