Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Student Service: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education, aim to increase the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Originally announced on November 20, 2024, for the fiscal year 2025, the grant competition underwent corrections, with a reopening notice published on June 11, 2025. These updates included the removal of competitive preference priorities and an extension of deadlines. The revised GEAR UP Partnership Grants program emphasizes a collaborative approach by fostering partnerships among educational institutions, community organizations, and other relevant entities. The program focuses on providing services to help underrepresented students transition successfully from middle school to postsecondary education. Specific allowable activities under GEAR UP include mentoring, academic support, college awareness activities, and financial aid education. All required and permissible services are delineated in section 404D of the Higher Education Act. The total estimated funding available for this round of the GEAR UP Partnership competition is $36,500,000. The actual allocation depends on congressional appropriations. The Department will not consider previously submitted applications due to the changes in competitive priorities. Instead, all applicants—including those who submitted applications prior to June 11, 2025—must resubmit updated applications by June 25, 2025. The Department will only consider the final application submitted by the deadline. Eligible applicants include partnerships consisting of at least one institution of higher education and one or more local educational agencies, among other potential partners. The grant supports projects that implement research-based interventions, though the formerly included competitive preference priorities tied to moderate evidence standards and postsecondary success metrics have been removed from the revised notice. Applications must follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, which are available through the Federal Register. For support, applicants may contact Ben Witthoefft at [email protected] or (202) 453–7576, or ReShone Moore, Ph.D., at [email protected] or (202) 453–7624. The application deadline is June 25, 2025, and the deadline for intergovernmental review is August 25, 2025.

Follow updated instructions carefully. Resubmit any previously submitted applications due to eliminated competitive priorities. Applications must align with program goals under section 404D of the Higher Education Act.