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App State Awarded $35 Million Grant

Sep 05, 2024 05:32PM ● By WNC Business

BOONE — The US Department of Education has awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant to Appalachian State University's College Access Partnerships in the Reich College of Education. The award represents the largest single grant ever awarded to the university.

GEAR UP is a federally-funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-based services to students, families, and teachers, the GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment rates.

App State is one of only 18 institutions nationwide awarded a GEAR UP grant in 2024, and it is the largest award in this cycle. The university administers multiple GEAR UP grants, and the most recent grant program, which began on Sept. 1, is known as GEAR UP APEX (Advancing Prosperity through Education and eXcellence). GEAR UP APEX includes 12 school districts and eight partnering North Carolina higher education institutions, all working together to provide college and career services to nearly 14,500 middle and high school students and their families.

The 12 school districts, representing 52 middle and high schools, are:

  • Burke
  • Catawba
  • Cherokee Central
  • Clay
  • Graham
  • Jackson
  • Macon
  • Madison
  • McDowell
  • Polk
  • Swain
  • Transylvania

Higher education partners include:

  • Western Piedmont Community College
  • Isothermal Community College
  • Catawba Valley Community College
  • Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
  • McDowell Technical Community College
  • Blue Ridge Community College
  • University of North Carolina Asheville
  • Southwestern Community College

The grant is led by Dr. James Beeler, executive director of College Access Partnerships, and Corinne Smith, director of GEAR UP and director of operations for College Access Partnerships.

Under the 2024 grant, Smith will serve as the principal investigator, College Access Partnerships Associate Director Doug Thompson will serve as the program director, and College Access Partnerships Assistant Director of Research and Evaluation Dr. Jui-Teng Li will serve as co-principal investigator.

Additional programmatic and support partners include myFutureNC, Participate Learning, Society for Science, National Postsecondary Strategy Institute, MasteryPrep, The Princeton Review, Leading Edge Learning, American School Counselor Association, Public School Forum of NC, Texas Instruments, Youth Villages, App State’s Mathematics and Science Education Center, Level All, AeroEducate, CoBro Consulting, and App State’s Center for Analytics Research and Education.

About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at AppState.edu.

About GEAR UP
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-grounded services to students, families and teachers, Appalachian GEAR UP aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment rates. For more information, visit GearUp.AppState.edu.

About College Access Partnerships
College Access Partnerships is housed in the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University and comprises programs in college access and educator professional learning, including Appalachian GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), Upward Bound, Appalachian College Advising Corps, Empowering Teacher Learning, Young Eisner Scholars, GREAT STEM, and On Ramp Appalachia. These programs aim to prepare students throughout Western North Carolina to engage in postsecondary learning that provides opportunities for careers in their home region and beyond. For more information, visit GoCollege.AppState.edu.

Source: Appalachian State University

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