For the past fourteen years, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) has been helping the youth in our schools make it to college and it will be doing so for at least another seven. Earlier this year, our legislators approved another grant for the next seven years.
GEAR UP is a program designed to help students overcome barriers to be able to attend college. They work with students who range from sterling scholars and 4.0 grade point averages to those who have to fight their way through school.
Like many grant programs, there are certain criteria in order to be accepted into the program. There is a financial consideration which is based on household income and size, or if there is an out of the ordinary living situation a student may also qualify (The McKinney-Vento Act). GEAR UP staff normally won’t advertise the specifics because they don’t want people to dismiss the opportunity before finding out for sure if they qualify.
GEAR UP has a statewide presence in most high schools and middle schools in the state. It is administered statewide through UVU but in Carbon and Emery Counties, USU Eastern staff manage the program. Linda Hapsmith is the Director locally.
“It is a family program. It really helps the students and their families develop a culture of lifelong learning. The grant focuses on 2 and 4-year degrees but many students go into military or other services after high school which we also support,” said Hapsmith. She added, “We follow the students through the first year of college to make sure they don’t get lost in the transition.”
Over the next few weeks until school starts, the administration and advisors will be reaching out to parents and students to inform them how GEAR UP can help them in their preparation for college. They have added a middle school advisor that will serve the 7th and 8th graders in the area and each high school has its own advisor. Carbon High and Pinnacle offer GEAR UP classes as an option for their study hall.
This Thursday, GEAR UP Students will be going to the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry and the Museum in Price to learn about careers relating to geology, archeology, paleontology, anthropology, museum studies, and public lands management.
The GEAR UP office is open during the summer for current and future GEAR UP students. They are located in the WIB building room 207 at USU Eastern (across from the Price pool).
Questions regarding applications or the program can be addressed by calling the GEAR UP office at 435-613-5204
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