NAU Receives $17 Million

Gov. Janet Napolitano announced that Northern Arizona University (NAU) is to continue representing the state for the federal GEAR UP statewide grant. NAU will receive a 6-year, $17 million grant to continue the state’s GEAR UP program. Once the required financial match is met by cash & in-kind contributions from schools & community partners, a total investment of $34 million will be available for GEAR Up programs, services & scholarships over the next 6 years.

GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federally funded dropout prevention & college-access program for students in economically disadvantaged schools. The program is a statewide partnership among NAU, Arizona State University & individual schools & school districts.

Arizona’s experience with GEAR UP has been impressive. The previous state grant worked with students from 2000 to 2006, beginning in middle school & continuing through high school graduation. Participants experienced a graduation rate of nearly 88% compared to the average state rate of 67%.

More than 2,000 students in GEAR Up partner schools graduated from high school this year. Additionally, about 500 of these GEAR UP students received $9 million in scholarships to attend any accredited post-secondary institution.

Sixty-five percent of GEAR UP students are minority, predominantly Latino & Native American, & 84% are 1st-generation college prospects. The new state grant will build on partnerships with schools in Coolidge, Flagstaff, Miami-Globe, Phoenix & Yuma, as well as a partnership with Arizona State University.