Team gear up

The Office of Postsecondary Education awarded Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) a $3.28 million Project Grant 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. GEAR UP provides academic support, counseling, mentoring, financial aid information, and related services designed to improve high school completion and postsecondary readiness among low-income secondary students, including students with disabilities. Through this funding, MPS delivers comprehensive support services including financial aid guidance, academic tutoring, college preparation counseling, and mentoring programs to eligible low-income students across its 158 schools serving approximately 69,000 students in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As a prime grantee with demonstrated capacity in administering federal education programs, Milwaukee Public Schools implements GEAR UP services to reduce the risk of student dropout, minimize the need for remedial education at the postsecondary level, and ensure students obtain a secondary school diploma while preparing for and succeeding in higher education. The district's GEAR UP program operates within the broader federal initiative context, where grants are awarded for up to 7 years to states and partnerships, with all recipients required to demonstrate substantial progress through peer-reviewed assessments and compliance with federal audit and record-keeping requirements under 2 CFR 200.