August 29 -- The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED)., Department of Education (ED), invites comments by October 30, 2023 regarding the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate (GEAR UP) Programs Annual Performance Report.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), created in the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 (title IV, section 404A–404H), is a discretionary grant program which encourages applicants to provide support and maintain a commitment to eligible low-income students, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma and preparing for and succeeding in postsecondary education. GEAR UP provides grants to states and partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP grantees serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow them through graduation and, optionally, the first year of college.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), created in the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 (title IV, section 404A–404H), is a discretionary grant program which encourages applicants to provide support and maintain a commitment to eligible low-income students, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma and preparing for and succeeding in postsecondary education. GEAR UP provides grants to states and partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP grantees serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow them through graduation and, optionally, the first year of college.
The Annual Performance Report (APR) for Partnership and State Projects for GEAR UP is a required report that grant recipients must submit annually. The purpose of this information collection is for accountability. The data is used to report on progress in meeting the performance objectives of GEAR UP, program implementation, and student outcomes. The data collected includes budget data on Federal funds and match contributions, demographic data, and data regarding services provided to students.
This submission requests to revise the APR in several places. New questions were added regarding the grant's scholarship component and student postsecondary participation outcomes, and changes were made to questions about project financial status, participant demographics, and project services.
GEAR UP:
https://www2.ed.gov/gearup/
Draft data collection instrument and technical documentation:
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ED-2023-SCC-0152/document
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-18627