Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $3.12 million Project Grant from the Office of Postsecondary Education under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative (CFDA 84.334), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The Rural Initiative in Stem Education and Undergraduate Preparation (RISE UP) GEAR UP Partnership will provide comprehensive educational support services targeting low-income students in rural communities, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The program delivers academic counseling, financial aid guidance, mentoring, tutoring, and scholarship assistance to assist disadvantaged students in obtaining secondary school diplomas and preparing for postsecondary education enrollment and success.

This award supports UW's established capacity as a major federal research and educational institution to lead a multi-institutional partnership addressing educational access and readiness disparities. GEAR UP grants typically operate as 6- to 7-year initiatives, and this one-year performance period likely represents either an initial project year or a renewal phase of a larger multi-year commitment. The funding enables the partnership to maintain sustained support services to eligible student populations, including those with disabilities, with the ultimate goal of increasing high school graduation rates and college readiness outcomes in targeted rural STEM education pathways.