Senator Clinton Praises GEAR UP for a Decade of Success Helping Low-Income Students Achieve Dreams

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 22, 2008 – WASHINGTON, DC—Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today was joined by actor Nick Cannon in praising the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) for ten years of success in helping low-income students enroll in post-secondary education.  In her remarks to the National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships (NCCEP)/GEAR UP annual convention, Senator Clinton praised the accomplishments of GEAR UP and underscored the need to reverse recent cuts in funding to allow the program to flourish in the future.

“GEAR UP has opened doors for thousands of students in America, regardless of their circumstances, to become the first in their families to go to college.   This program has helped to narrow the achievement gap by providing educational resources that have assisted more and more low-income students in achieving their goals and realizing their God-given potential.  I have fought the Bush Administration’s efforts to eliminate or roll back funding for GEAR UP, and with the leadership of advocates such as Nick Cannon and groups like the NCCEP, we will keep fighting so that GEAR UP can continue to grow and help level the playing field for many more future generations of students,” said Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton has championed GEAR UP in the Senate and has spearheaded efforts to ensure funding for the program remains intact.  Most recently, she called on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to increase funding for GEAR UP to $350 million in 2009. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Pension and Labor Committee, Senator Clinton has worked on a bipartisan basis with Senator Richard Burr to enhance and strengthen the GEAR UP program as part of the reauthorization of Higher Education Act.

Senator Clinton’s work to support GEAR UP earned praise from the NCCEP.

“For so many low-income students across America struggling to graduate from high school and enter college, GEAR UP has brought opportunity within reach by providing support, resources and guidance.  This program knows no better champion than Senator Clinton, who has for many years fought to protect and expand this program. GEAR UP is dedicated to the fundamental American principle that every child can learn and be successful.  We’re proud of the steps GEAR UP has taken in the last ten years in pursuit of that goal, and we’re fortunate to have a partner such as Senator Clinton working to guarantee GEAR UP’s future,” said Héctor Garza, Ed.D, M.P.H., President of NCCEP.

GEAR UP, which was signed into law as part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, is a public-private education partnership aimed at improving achievement and success in postsecondary education by providing resources including academic support, information about postsecondary education and financial aid, scholarships, and counseling.  In the 2006-2007 academic year, GEAR UP provided 214 grants serving 639,423 students in 5,263 schools.  Assessments of the program have shown that low-income students benefiting from GEAR UP show substantially increased high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates.  To date, federal funding for GEAR UP has totaled $2.4 billion, having served over 1.5 million students.  In New York, GEAR UP provided over $8.6 million in funding, which benefited nearly 14,000 students in 98 schools for the 2005-2006 academic year.