ETSU GEAR UP Federal Grant Award Summary

East Tennessee State University received a $4.07 million Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP, CFDA 84.334) program. The award, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, supports ETSU's delivery of comprehensive educational support services to low-income students in the Johnson City, Tennessee region. Under this initiative, ETSU provides academic counseling, financial aid guidance, mentoring, tutoring, and scholarship assistance designed to increase high school graduation rates, improve college readiness, and enhance postsecondary enrollment and success for targeted student populations, including those with disabilities.

The GEAR UP program is a six- to seven-year federal initiative that supports states and partnerships in providing sustained educational support to eligible low-income students. As a child awardee under the Board of Regents Tennessee, ETSU's project aligns with the program's emphasis on partnership-based approaches to secondary and postsecondary educational access. Grant funds support direct student services and programmatic activities that address regional educational disparities, consistent with GEAR UP's focus on expanding educational opportunities for underrepresented populations and supporting their transition to higher education.