Auburn University recently received a multimillion-dollar grant to help Alabama middle school students “get in gear” for education.
The seven-year, $18.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education will go toward the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Achieve initiative. The program will provide increased academic and postsecondary education support for more than 6,500 seventh-graders throughout the state.
“This record grant is a game-changer for Alabama students, and I am proud Auburn’s College of Education and University Outreach will be spearheading the program,” Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts said. “Initiatives like GEAR UP Achieve speak to Auburn’s land-grant mission, and we are committed to improving access to higher education opportunities for students throughout our great state.
“I applaud Gov. Kay Ivey and everyone who has had a hand in this grant procurement, and I am confident it will help us change lives as we work to build a better tomorrow for our communities.”
Ivey said she was “delighted” to see the new funding for the Auburn University College of Education.
“Alabama’s young people are our future, and we must continually strive to afford them the best opportunities to learn and achieve,” she said. “The GEAR UP Achieve program is a landmark investment in the futures of thousands of Alabama middle school students that will reap a positive outcome in their education and careers.”
She was also excited about the opportunity the initiative gives students who may come from less advantageous circumstances than their peers.
“GEAR UP offers a path for young scholars from low-income households to pursue and achieve their dreams of higher education through advanced instruction, monitoring of their progress and guidance in preparing for college admissions,” Ivey said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Dr. Jeffery T. Fairbrother, dean of the College of Education Dean and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor, said the new funding represents the largest grant in the history of the college.
“GEAR UP Achieve is significant for Auburn’s College of Education in a variety of ways, including being the largest grant in the college’s history,” he said. “We’re focused on the impact this collaborative initiative will have on the lives of students and families.
“We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work with our colleagues in University Outreach and partners throughout the state to impact the next generation of students, who will have greater access to higher education and be equipped to thrive in college because of GEAR UP Achieve.”
GEAR UP Achieve is designed to improve access for students across the state, with strategic goals that include:
- Improving access to high-quality literacy and mathematics instruction
- Leveraging state-level data to monitor students’ academic progress
- Supporting school counselors, career coaches and academic advisors in
guiding students toward higher education opportunities - Assisting students and their families in navigating the college admissions process and preparing to meet Alabama’s workforce needs
- Increasing awareness of the costs of higher education and providing technical assistance to students and their families in completing the requirements for receiving financial aid
The program has $2,630,266 in first-year funding and an expected total funding of $18,411,856, which represents 50% of the overall projected cost.
The grant will be administered through the Auburn College of Education’s Truman Pierce Institute, the Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement, and the Department of Curriculum and Teaching in the College of Education.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
