GEAR UP

Students have many options after high school, including apprenticeships, military service, on-the-job training programs, community college certificates, two-year degrees, and four-year degrees. Postsecondary education includes all these things.

An excellent place to start exploring your interests and goals is with a career interest and skills inventory. That can help you decide what courses you could take in high school and may help you identify education and career goals.  It is okay if your interests, goals, and needs change over time. Extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, and even a class, job shadow, or volunteer experience can help us decide our interests and skills.

Students should ask themselves: Who do I want to be? What am I good at? What do I love to do? Whether it's playing sports or an instrument, your interests today say a lot about what career you might be interested in the future.

There are many ways to continue education beyond high school. Most family-wage jobs require education or training after high school—just one year of education or training can increase lifetime earnings. On average, college graduates have more jobs to choose from and lower unemployment rates than high school graduates.

• Options! Students have many options after high school, such as apprenticeships, on-the-job training programs, community college certificates, two-year degrees, four-year degrees, and more.
• New experiences, people, and places! Whether your teen goes to a nearby community college, a state school a few hours away, or a private school in another state, they can meet new people and pursue subjects that interest them.
• Money. Education pays! College graduates earn 60 percent more than high school graduates, and those with advanced degrees earn two to three times as much. Jobs that require a college degree are also more likely to have benefits and retirement plans.
• Independence. Students control the classes they want to take and how they spend their time.
• Discover passions. Students can get involved on campus with student clubs, athletics, and community service.
• Job security and satisfaction. Individuals with college degrees are more likely to have and keep their jobs and have lower unemployment rates than those with only a high school degree. In addition, having a college degree gives individuals more jobs to choose from and the opportunity to select an exciting and meaningful career.

Most students receive some form of financial aid to help pay for the cost of their education, including:

• Scholarships are money for college given by businesses, individuals, organizations, or universities to students with good grades, athletic ability, community service, or other qualities.
• Grants are called gift aid because grants do not have to be paid back if students successfully complete the courses they were enrolled in. They are usually based on your family’s financial need (or what your family can afford to pay).
• Loans are borrowed from a bank, government, or lending company. It must be paid back with an extra charge called interest. The federal government offers low-interest loans to students with financial need.
• Work study jobs pay your child for part-time work, often on campus.

Often, the greatest fear about pursuing an education after high school is the cost. The main expenses include tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation. The published price of attending college is not usually what students pay. Thanks to financial aid, they often pay less. The Washington College Grant (WA Grant) is one of the country's most generous and flexible financial aid programs. People of all ages from low—and middle-income families may qualify to get money for college, career training, and apprenticeships. Funding is guaranteed to eligible students.

The actual, final price (or net price) students pay for a specific college is the published price (tuition and fees) to attend that college, minus any grants, scholarships, and education tax benefits for which they may be eligible. The difference between the published price and the net price can be considerable. While the prices published on college websites can be discouraging, many students will find that the net price for them is lower.

Colleges are now required to post a net price calculator tool on their websites. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Net Price Calculator Center at https://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price, and/or you can estimate your financial aid award with WSAC’s financial aid calculator.

Find the right fit. Search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results, and more with the US Department of Ed College Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative is one of the largest and most effective programs focused on increasing the college and career readiness and success of low-income students in communities nationwide.

This discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Education provides six- or seven-year grants to states and partnerships to provide services to high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP grantees serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow the cohort through their first year after high school.

GEAR UP’s vision is that all students are academically, socially, and financially prepared to enter and complete their chosen postsecondary program or institution.

The Department of Education provides two types of GEAR UP grants: state grants and partnership grants. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) administers the state grant, while Washington State University and the University of Washington manage nine partnership grants. As of November 2024, these organizations collectively serve nearly 38,000 students across the state.

In the fall of 2024, the U.S. Department of Education awarded WSAC's Washington State GEAR UP program its fifth grant. This $35 million grant will provide $5 million annually for seven years. Washington State is required to match each dollar awarded with an equal contribution. Since 2007, WSAC has committed $1 million annually, which covers 20% of the required annual match.

WSAC's state program will support approximately 6,800 students each year, from 7th grade through their first year of postsecondary education, with eligible students receiving up to $800 scholarships.

Nationally, GEAR UP served 568,775 students enrolled in 2,954 secondary schools in almost every state in 2022-23. To be eligible for GEAR UP, a minimum of 50% of a school’s student body must be enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) program.

Services begin in middle school, guiding students and families through the early years of college preparation, including preparation's academic, social, emotional, and financial aspects. While each GEAR UP program is designed to meet the unique needs of their local community, GEAR UP programs typically provide:

• Tutoring and homework assistance
• Comprehensive mentoring
• Counseling and advising
• Postsecondary pathway and career exploration
• Financial literacy, financial aid, and scholarship information
• Summer programs
• Campus visits, college and career fairs, job shadowing, and field trips
• Family events
• College application support
• Test preparation and study skills

GEAR UP programs are successful in rural and urban communities, providing inspiration and empowerment. The program fosters partnerships and community-based strategies centered around the idea that preparing for college and careers should start early. GEAR UP involves students in middle school and supports them through high school and beyond, taking a comprehensive and systematic approach that has a lasting impact on schools. It also uses local resources to maximize federal investment, and for every federal GEAR UP dollar, there must be a matching non-GEAR UP dollar.

Funding Status and School Partnerships

In 2017, Washington State was awarded its fourth consecutive state GEAR UP grant. The $24.5 million award directly services over 5,500 students and their families in 26 high-poverty school districts statewide. With the program’s dollar-for-dollar cost-share requirement, the total program investment over the life of the six-year grant will be over $49 million.

WSAC applied for new funding in 2024. If there is an opportunity to partner with us, WSAC will send this information to your superintendent and principal.

Our website offers a wealth of free resources. We encourage you to explore and utilize any materials you find there. Many of them are also customizable to suit your specific needs.

Additionally, we have a weekly bulletin with updates on professional development, scholarships, and programs that support students and families in their planning for postsecondary education and financial aid. If you’d like to be added to the distribution list, please email bethk@wsac.wa.gov.

To participate in GEAR UP services, your child must attend a school that has received a GEAR UP grant, and they must meet program eligibility requirements. Please contact the school counselor to determine what is available in your child’s school.

Additionally, this website offers many free resources regardless of GEAR UP eligibility. We encourage you and your child to explore and use any materials you find there.