Utica-rome gear up

Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) received an $856,000 Project Grant 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) on October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2026. This award supports GEAR UP's core mission of providing comprehensive educational services to low-income secondary students in the Utica-Rome region, including academic support, counseling, mentoring, financial aid information, and related services designed to improve high school completion rates and postsecondary readiness.

Through this grant, MVCC will deliver coordinated support services to eligible low-income students, including those with disabilities, to reduce dropout risk and prepare students for success in postsecondary education. The services encompass academic assistance, college preparation counseling, mentoring relationships, outreach activities, and information on postsecondary education advantages and college financing options. As a degree-granting institution of higher education partnership grant recipient, MVCC leverages its demonstrated capacity in workforce development and federal grant management—having secured over $6 million in prior grant awards from the Office of Postsecondary Education—to implement evidence-based interventions supporting student transitions from secondary to postsecondary education.