GEAR UP Kentucky

GEAR UP Kentucky is sponsored by Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. A federal grant program aimed at increasing the number of low-income students prepared for postsecondary education.

GEAR UP Kentucky - Ky.

Council on Postsecondary Education Toggle display of sidebar content Statewide & national partnerships include: Augusta Independent Schools Newport Independent Schools Washington County Schools Kentucky Department of Education Kentucky Center of Statistics NCCEP’s College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium GEAR UP Alumni Association The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority Kentucky Broadcasters Association The GEAR UP Kentucky Vision : Every student prepared for postsecondary education.

The GEAR UP Kentucky Mission : The mission of GEAR UP Kentucky is to increase the number of students in low-income Kentucky communities who are ready to successfully transition to and through postsecondary education.

We do this by providing services and support to prepare the whole student and equipping their families, institutions, and communities to promote and sustain GEAR UP is a federal grant program created by Congress in 1998 to help students prepare for life after high school.

The program focuses on schools where the majority of students live in low-income households, working with students, families, and educators so that more young people graduate high school ready to succeed in college, career training, or other postsecondary opportunities. In October 2025, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) was awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP state grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

This is the fifth statewide GEAR UP grant awarded to CPE, highlighting the Council’s strong track record of improving student access and success.

During its first 25 years, GEAR UP Kentucky served more than 66,000 students in 208 schools in 91 districts across The current project will serve more than 10,000 students in 16 middle and high schools Engaging students and their key influencers GEAR UP Kentucky (GUK) aligns all project strategies and services to the “Four Pillars of Student Success,” a research-based framework developed by Dr. Aaron Thompson which recognizes that four key groups of influences are integral to equipping and empowering a student for postsecondary success: self (student), family, institution, and community.

SELF (Student) Pillar | Direct Services for Students This grant project uses a hybrid delivery approach to directly serve students across GUK provides the following services to its students: advising and academic preparation; postsecondary transition curricula; early postsecondary and career experiences; peer engagement and leadership; and GEAR UP scholarships.

Family Pillar | Direct Services for Families For parents and guardians, GUK provides advising and outreach, text outreach, resources, workshops, and materials to help them support their students’ postsecondary goals Institution Pillar | School Support Services For school and district partners, GUK provides school sustainability planning and funding, planning and professional development, advising and assessment, peer engagement and leadership, and family engagement support.

Community Pillar | Statewide Services GUK, which has 22 statewide and national partners, runs statewide broadcast and social media campaigns and provides resources for counselors, educators and parents.

Helping Kentucky meet its 60x30 goal In addition to working directly with participating students, families and schools in low-income communities to increase successful transition to and through postsecondary education, GEAR UP Kentucky partners with other relevant organizations such as KHEAA, Kentucky Campus Compact and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to help promote college-going statewide and increase access to college readiness and transition resources, information and support.

For more information about GEAR UP Kentucky, visit gearupky. org.