Onward We Learn is grateful to our congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, in addition to Governor Dan McKee and Postsecondary Commissioner Shannon Gilkey for the successful collaboration of securing a new federal GEAR UP grant, providing a projected $33.6 million over the next seven years.
The federal funds will flow to the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC) through the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program. The grant will provide $4.8 million per year for seven years, subject to future federal appropriations, to support promising economically disadvantaged students.
This federal grant will help serve 4,000 students annually in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Cranston, and Newport by connecting students to wrap-around services and comprehensive supports beginning in grade six and continuing through the first year of college. Rhode Island’s GEAR UP program is administered by the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner in partnership with Onward We Learn (formerly known as the College Crusade of Rhode Island).
“Onward We Learn is delighted to expand our partnership with OPC to continue our collective efforts to improve the landscape of education in Rhode Island. With the renewal of our GEAR UP grant, we can eagerly expand our service areas to include more students and their families,” said Andrew Bramson, President and CEO of Onward We Learn. “We are particularly excited that this new infusion of these resources will allow us to sustain our highly successful scholarship program. High-quality college access programming and scholarships are a proven recipe for helping young people become the first in their families to attend and complete college.”
To read the press release from the office of Senator Jack Reed, visit https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/rhode-island-to-receive-336-million-to-help-students-gear-up-for-college
